Jason Aldean is defending himself against accusations of promoting lynching and racism following the removal of the music video for his song "Try That in a Small Town" from CMT (Country Music Television).
Aldean tweeted on Tuesday: "In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage — and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music — this one goes too far."
The music video includes footage from the Antifa/BLM riots in the summer of 2020.
The lyrics of the song's first verse include lines such as "Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk / Carjack an old lady at a red light / Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store / Ya think it's cool, well, act a fool if ya like." Aldean continues with, "Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you're tough."
Leftists claimed the song had racial undertones. One anti-gun activist claimed the song was about how "he and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns." CMT bowed to the cancel culture mob and pulled the video.
Aldean said that "Try That In A Small Town" for him "refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about."
In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.…
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) July 18, 2023
Membership . . . . Intelligence . . . . Publish
