Country Music Television has taken down a music video for country music superstar Jason Aldean’s song “Try That in a Small Town,” which was filmed on the scene of a lynching, and accused the lyrics and message of being offensive.
The video, released in May, was filmed outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, a location known for the 1927 mob lynching of Henry Choate, an 18-year-old black man, and is interspersed with violent news footage, including protests. An American flag hangs between the building’s central pillars as Aldean strums a guitar and enumerates what he sees as big-city behavior that would not sit well in a small town; “ambushed an old lady”; “swear at a police officer”; “Step on the flag.”
State Representative Justin Jones of Tennessee, a Democrat, condemned the song on twitterand described it as a “vile song that incites racial violence” that propagates “a shameful vision of gun extremism and vigilantism.”
On Tuesday, CMT confirmed via email that the video had stopped airing on Monday, but did not provide an explanation. The news was first reported by Billboard.
Aldean defended himself on twitterHe claimed he’s been accused of “releasing a pro-lynch song” and being “not too happy” about the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
“These references are not only unfounded, but also dangerous,” he said. “There isn’t a single lyric in the song that refers to or hints at race – and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t actual news material – and while I can try to respect others to have their own interpretation of a song.” with music – this one goes too far.”
Aldean then referenced his 2017 appearance at an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas, where a gunman opened fire from a hotel room, killing 58 people.
“Nobody, myself included, wants to see pointless headlines or families torn apart,” Aldean said. The song, he added, references the “sense of community” he experienced as a child, where neighbors cared for each other regardless of differences in race or belief.
“I’ve never hidden my political views, and I know that many of us in this country disagree on how we can return to a sense of normality, where we can go at least a day without making headlines that keeps us up at night.” awake. But the desire for it — that’s what this song is about,” Aldean said.
BRB Music Group, which represents Aldean, was not immediately available for comment.