Sheryl Crow has condemned fellow country musician Jason Aldean for his controversial new song “Try That in a Small Town.” The song not only promotes violence against left-wing and Black Lives Matter protestors, but its music video was filmed at the site of an actual lynching in Tennessee.
“I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence. There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence,” Crow wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
“You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting,” Crow continued, referencing the 2017 mass shooting at Las Vegas’ Route 91 Festival, of which Aldean was a headliner. “This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
Crow also retweeted a post listing the numerous small towns where mass shootings have taken place, including Parkland, Newton, and Uvalde.
In “Try That in a Small Town,” Aldean juxtaposes images of nationwide Black Lives Matters protests alongside threatening lyrics. “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 don’t recommend you don’t/ Try that in a small town,” Aldean sings. He goes on, “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.”
What’s more, the song’s accompanying video was filmed in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee — the site of a brutal lynching in 1927, in which 18-year-old Henry Choate was killed and hung from the building.
It’s also worth noting that Aldean is not actually from a small town. He was born and raised in Macon — the fourth largest city in Georgia. He now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, the 21st most-populous city in the country.
In a statement responding to critics, Aldean denied that “Try That in a Small Town” is pro-lynching. “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,” he stated.
.@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence.There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence. You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting.
This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame https://t.co/cuOtUO9xjr
— Sheryl Crow (@SherylCrow) July 19, 2023
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