Try That in a Small Town features lyrics threatening violence against protesters and has been removed from Country Music Television, but Aldean says it is a celebration of community
Try That in a Small Town features lyrics threatening violence against protesters and has been removed from Country Music Television, but Aldean says it is a celebration of community
His song literally celebrates violence and the kind of mob mentality that leads to tremendous injustice. Oh, and his music video was filmed on the site of a lynching while it threatens black protesters today. Community? Really?
These people are stupid. If you want a gun you will get a gun regardless of law, the same way it's been forever. Laws are just a false sense of security in America.
That's Modern Country: Artists with manicures and private jets singing about trucks and farm work. Listened to by office workers with trucks that never leave paved roads.
It’s the most cynical art form ever. The average pop country song is just a product; it has zero artistic value. And, it typically reflects a fake culture that has been confected from tropes.
Lol that’s a great way of putting it. Everything about it is phony. And most artists that could cross-over have been quick to do so and sever their ties to modern country.
Idk I’ve lived here for nearly 30 years and it’s absolutely news to me that promoting violence is unamerican. Especially in a small town. Motherfuckers in small towns will brag about couch guns while daring the president to come to town. Small town motherfuckers will use gallows as a decoration. These people’s issues with blm protests in a small town isn’t violence it’s black people.
Also they never minded when the ones being rounded up were the gays or the Japanese or native Americans or Latines. But sure you fucking hicks need to be afraid. Fuck off and arm a synagogue instead.
The song’s lyrics include the lines: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, you think you’re tough / Well, try that in a small town / See how far you make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own.”
Later, Aldean alludes to a conspiracy theory that the US government intends to round up its citizens: “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.”
A "celebration of community" would have lyrics about helping each other, attending local events and supporting local businesses. It would reference knowing people's names, watching families grow up together, pitching in to help neighbours and being able to relax & feel content.
It shouldn't contain combative themes, othering, divisive language and threats of violence.
Something about this comment flipped a switch for me. This is how these people bond. They find common ground in fearing the same out-groups. To them, that is exactly what "community" is, sharing a common enemy.
Country music used to have themes like that, or simply be fun. "Down on the Farm" is catchy, fun, most can relate.
Reba sang... Fuck it, I'm done. There were some greats that sang about our common experiences, with a rural twist. Hell, even Garth is getting his ass beat for being inclusive.
If you leave mainstream, radio country even just a little, it becomes apparent that progressive gays are taking over country and Americana. If there are people and places in your life that need country music, bring S.G. Goodman, Melissa Carper, Orville Peck, Iris Marlowe, and none of these people have what I would call a niche sound. (I don't expect to convert anyone to the cult of Little Mazarn, but that's maybe my favorite country act.) And some of them are blowing up! They're making country music for me these days, and I fucking love it. It's all I listen to lately. Folk, country, and Americana are for everyone.
Anyone talking honestly about southern community is going to come off real anarchist/communist/leftist/whatever. A large part of rural life is mutual aid, a staple of leftist movements. Rural people vote conservative because they're told to hate someone else though, and that's it. Ideologically they are more leftist, though often with conservative social values regarding family and faith.
So I'm pretty far left (for an American), but I think there is a nuance that I've had explained at me by some non-mouth-frothing Republican types I've worked with.
For them, there is a difference between choosing to be part of community, helping other people, and sharing what they have, and being forced to do those things (via taxes). It always struck me as... exclusionary. It means that they can help their literal neighbor and ignore the people on the other side of town (or the other side of the country).
So it may feel like it's leftist/communist/etc, but it's just an extension of "fuck you, I got mine" to "fuck everyone else, me and mine got ours, and only on my terms."
Seriously. I've seen to many people that avoid nice areas because of stupid shit like this. Country music is dog shit but people hear you live in Georgia and assume you're a good ol boy
Ooooh I have not heard this one before, I like it. I've used cowbro in the past but generally just go for bro-country. Gonna throw supermarket cowboy into the mix.
Pandering came out in 2016, apparently, so that's more like seven years. But also, we all know they're going to forget about being mad at Bud Light, move on to the next stupid culture war BS and start buying their Bud Light again within the year.
Look at that pampered baby face of his. He probably has a fussy skin care regimen and spends more time in a spa every week than most people do in a year. But he needs to pander to the testosterone-obsessed truckbro pissbaby demographic to make his money.
Why do I suspect his ass is the first to flee when shit gets real? Doubt he can live up to his own lyrics, evidence has shown most of these people can't.
At the end of the day, the root cause of bigotry is cowardice. Maybe stupidity and indoctrination got them where they are, but for 100% of them, it's cowardice that's keeping them there.
We poured hot tar and feather on the British when they raised taxes to pay for the war in which we were being defended. What part of our history is “non-violent”
Why is this shitty country song being targeted by the news? There are so many other country songs with lyrics like this, and there are plenty even more troubling. Sick of seeing this headline. We’re giving attention to something that doesn’t deserve it, and it sucks.
Because it's recent and CMT took action. Nothing new here.
I'm a liberal redneck, got a country list on Spotify.
"Country Boy Can Survive", strikes a chord with me, not hellishly racist. I get it.
I like "Song of the South", I feel much of it, but the name itself is a dog whistle. If you listen to the words, well, things got better with FDR? 🤷🏻♂️ Make of it what you will.
"Indian Outlaw" is catchy, zero hate, could even be called positive. (Not by me.) Seems damned offensive to a Native American. Done with that one.
"Try That in a Small Town" is kinda OK, on its own. I get the sentiment. We small town folks take care of ourselves. Because we have to. OTOH, the video and backdrop, Jesus Fucking Christ, he might as well have said kill invading n****rs.
Anyway, different songs from different times. Now is not the time to release shit like this and try to claim... Whatever the fuck he came out with. I'm exhausted.
EDIT: LOL my God. The song and video were worse than I remembered. Song isn't even catchy, even with the video off, it's just dreck. And change that from "kill invading n****rs" to "kill all libs/woke/whatever".
This country lib is armed, for whatever that's worth.
What a weird quote. America is all about promoting violence. Washington loves its wars, especially when non-Americans are getting killed in foreign countries, and tens of millions of people across the country feel the same way. Hell, even the national anthem is glorifying violence.
Reeeeal grand of the Guardian to criticize the lyrics of someone's song when they never called the Black Lives Matters rioters uh rioters. Insane hypocrisy from some leftist media.