GOP candidates back controversial ‘Try That in a Small Town’ song.
Republican presidential candidates are rallying behind country music singer Jason Aldean and his song “Try That in a Small Town,” issuing statements of support in what has become a political controversy and playing the tune at their campaign rallies.
Since its release in mid-May, the now divisive song has skyrocketed in popularity among GOP and conservative listeners while being roundly denounced by the left, Democrats, and mainstream media, who portray it as promoting gun violence and vigilantism.
Aldean has said the song represents an “unspoken rule” for people raised in small towns: They have each other’s backs.
Adding to the controversy was the official music video for the song, which premiered July 14 on YouTube.
On July 20, “Try That in a Small Town” hit #1 on the U.S. iTunes chart.
Music Television (MTV) and Country Music Television (CMT), however, have banned the video from playing on their networks.
Nikki Haley at the Moms for Liberty Joyful Warriors Summit in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 30, 2023. (Beth Brelje/The Epoch Times)
Among the 2024 hopefuls touting the song are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Pence made public comments backing the song, and Ms. Haley and Mr. Ramaswamy played the music at their rallies and have committed to keep doing so.
On July 21 in South Carolina, Ms. Haley posted on Twitter: “You all know I love music. tonight in Greenville, we added a new song to the playlist: Jason Aldean’s ‘Try That in a Small Town.’“
Lyrics, Messages, and Images
With inner-city crime a flashpoint issue in politics and the culture wars, the song and video make comparisons between how lawless behavior is handled in urban environments in America and how it is dealt with in the nation’s small towns.
The song implies that illegal and violent conduct that flourishes and is not prosecuted in urban places is promptly handled in smaller communities, with that discipline being administered, in part, by private citizens.
The song starts with the lines: “Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk/ Carjack an old lady at a red light …/ Ya think it’s cool…. ”
And it continues: “Well, try that in a small town/ … Around here, we take care of our own.”
The official music video for the song contains, among other action footage, cityscape images of the American flag being set on fire, a person brandishing a gun jumping over a liquor store counter, and rioters throwing objects at police.
Near the end of the video, there is a segment in which the American flag is being raised and images of kids playing in a yard, hunters with guns, and a tractor rolling across a field.
As of July 22, on the official YouTube page of Jason Aldean, the music video had 10 million views.
Different Perspectives
Karlos K. Hill, a scholar who is black, criticized the song in an
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