Jason Aldean's “Try That in a Small Town” Flips Out The Left

Maybe we should have said “flips off” the Left instead of “flips out” the Left, but however

one phrases it, Jason Aldean’s new country hit “Try That in a Small Town” is driving Leftwing censors and cultural arbiters nuts, even as it tops the charts.

According to reporting by The New York Post’s Erin Keller:

Aldean’s headline-making hit occupies the No. 1 spot on iTunes’ Top Songs and Music Videos charts as of Wednesday evening — despite accusations it’s racist and “pro-lynching.”

The song, which was released May 19, has over 3.8 million Spotify streams.

Over on YouTube, the music video, which dropped Friday, has over 1.8 million views. It also holds the No. 4 spot on the site’s trending music videos.

The Left hates the song so much they managed to bully CMT into pulling the video — which features footage from protests, including Black Lives Matter protests, as well as Aldean performing.

The beef with the video allegedly centers on the site of where part of it was performed – in front of a Tennessee courthouse associated with the lynching of an African American during the Jim Crow era, when Democrats and their military auxiliary, the Ku Klux Klan, sowed terror throughout the South.

The song remained part of ABC’s broadcast of the CMA Fest’s milestone 50th anniversary, which aired Wednesday, July 19, but the music video was not part of the ABC show.

Mr. Aldean, an outspoken conservative, defended himself from the backlash in an Instagram Story, calling the accusations that he “released a pro-lynching song … not only meritless, but dangerous.”

The producers of the video have said the site is a popular one just outside of Nashville and Aldean had no input into it, as they rejected any connection between the song and the site of a Democrat-inspired lynching during the Jim Crow era.

But that hasn’t stopped pseudointellectuals on the Left from looking for “hidden messages” in the song and conducting dissections of the song and Mr. Aldean.

Rolling Stone ran an article interviewing Dr. Karlos K. Hill, an author and "community-engaged scholar," who has written a book about the history of lynching, which is strangely silent on the connection between the Democratic Party, the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.

Here are a couple of excerpts from the Rolling Stone interview with Dr. Hill:

What was your first reaction to watching the video (sic) to “Try That in a Small Town”?

It was dog-whistle politics at play. There are a couple themes: the idea that rural America is the moral center of America. That’s a very present theme, because you see images of urban America on fire, with protests, but then you have the country music singer placed in the rural area where it’s tranquil and calm and peaceful. You have the rural/urban divide theme, the “rural America is the moral compass” theme, and the “urban America is in chaos” theme.

You also have this veiled threat: “Try that in a small town.” The song is part of the current rhetoric of the moment. The “us versus them, Make America Great Again” idea. You have all of that without the artist even having to touch it. But what’s most concerning is the veiled threats of violence that, given the Jan. 6 attacks, we should be really alarmed by, because we know where they can lead.

And:

Many people have called attention to the fact that the video was partly filmed in front of the Columbia, Tennessee, courthouse.

Obviously, there are no references to lynching in the song. I think there are veiled threats of violence, but that would be a stretch, to connect it to the history of lynching. There are actual lynching songs, like songs that are actually about lynching Black people. We can’t equivocate. But, at the same time…someone should have known that there was a possibility that someone would say that.

The last portion of the video shows images of white people and families playing sports and hunting.

After the images of urban unrest and violent protesters, you have the imagery of white men shooting guns. So, there’s this real deep insinuation of “We have weapons, you better not try to take our guns.” The imagery is what’s doing all the work. That’s what people are seizing upon. There’s this insinuation that these guns are being used recreationally — but if you “try that in a small town,” then that same mentality will be turned on you.

We’ve listened to the song and contrary to some of the criticism that it is some sort of white nationalist anthem we found it to be in the same vein as many other “patriotic good old boy” country songs that have been staples of the country music scene since the Viet Nam war era. Here are the lyrics of “Try That in a Small Town” so you can judge for yourself if there are any “white nationalist dog whistles” in it.

Try That In A Small Town

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

Well, try that in a small town

See how far ya make it down the road

Around 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

Try that in a small town

Got a gun that my granddad gave me

They say one day they're gonna round up

Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck

Try that in a small town

See how far ya make it down the road

Around 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

Try that in a small town

Full of good ol' boys, raised up right

If you're looking for a fight

Try that in a small town

Try that in a small town

Try that in a small town

See how far ya make it down the road

Around 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

Try that in a small town

Try that in a small town

Ooh-ooh

Try that in a small town

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Kelley Lovelace / Neil Thrasher / Tully Kennedy / Kurt Michael Allison

Try That In A Small Town lyrics © Bmg Platinum Songs Us, Bmg Gold Songs, Makena Cove Music, Irishsonmusic, Spirit Vault Songs, Thrash Town Music, Spirit Nashville Two Crescendo, That's Me!! Music Publishing, Songs Of Red Street Country, King Pen To Paper Songs

Personally, I prefer my music on vinyl (are you listening Jason?), but I went to iTunes and bought “Try That in a Small Town” just to flip off the Left, and I’ve watched the YouTube version of the music video just to help drive its views up for the same reason. Please join me in doing your part to keep Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” at the top of the charts.

George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com. A veteran of over 300 political campaigns, including every Republican presidential campaign from 1976 to 2004, he served as a staff member or advance representative for some of America’s most recognized conservative political figures, including Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin and Jack Kemp. A member of American MENSA, he served on the House and Senate staff and on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle. Rasley is a graduate of Hanover College and studied international affairs at Oxford University's Worcester College. His music collection, which once numbered over 4,000 records, has been pared back to about 400 albums, including many of the classics of country music.

• Try That in a Small Town

• Jason Aldean

• American culture

• Black Lives Matter

• 2020 George Floyd riots

• pro-lynching

• Ku Klux Klan

• Columbia Tennesee Courthouse