Jason Aldean’s recent song, “Try That In A Small Town,” is facing controversy for both the song’s intense pro-gun content and music video. Lyrically, the country singer reacts to various acts with his own apparent threat: that those in a “small town” will take care of you with their guns.
The track opens with the lines, “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 / Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough.”
“Try that in a small town / See how far ya make it down the road / ‘Round here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t,” Aldean then goes on to warn in the chorus.
Other later lyrics in the song include “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that sh*t might fly in the city, good luck” and “Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right / If you’re looking for a fight / Try that in a small town.”
As some have pointed out, Aldean was performing during the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017, where over 400 people were wounded.
Check out some reactions to Jason Aldean’s lyrics below.
heard some talk about jason aldean’s newest song and had to look up the lyrics… are we fr letting this shit slide?? in 2023?? pic.twitter.com/OtkfoXIrFb
— Holly (@hollyh8123) July 16, 2023
Jason Aldean’s newest lyrics are shit. They’re meant for teenage yee-yee boys. Everyone I know has guns from grandad because no one has ever rounded up guns. The rest of the song is as dumb as you’d think. Rural doesn’t equal hillbilly & I hate music that perpetuates that shit. pic.twitter.com/FJ5iQYpVzb
— Jess Piper (@piper4missouri) July 17, 2023
Jason Aldean, born in Macon, GA – pop. 160K, home to “several institutions of higher education, museums & tourist spots,” lives in Nashville, capitol of TN, with his $43 million annual income, which he enjoys having run off the stage to escape the Las Vegas massacre. https://t.co/WBVOAurMmg
— Sinead O’Brien (@Sinead_OBrien5) July 17, 2023
I commented on living in a small town and the fact that Jason Aldean‘s lyrics are harmful, and most of the comments I’ve received happened to from men either calling me a fat c#nt or a bitch.
That tells you about all you need to know about Jason Aldean fans…
— Jess Piper (@piper4missouri) July 19, 2023