Try That in a Small Town
Jason Aldean “Try That in a Small Town”: The Song That Divided America
Have you heard the song everyone is talking about? It feels like you cannot scroll through social media or turn on the radio without hearing Jason Aldean’s name. His song “Try That in a Small Town” did something rare in today’s world. It stopped us all mid-scroll. Some people love it. Some people hate it. But nobody is ignoring it.
I remember the first time I heard this song. I was driving through my own small town, the one where everybody knows your name and your grandmother’s name too. The song came on, and my first thought was simple: this is different. It does not sound like the typical country love song or tailgate party anthem. It sounds like a conversation. Or maybe an argument. And that is exactly why it caught fire the way it did.
The song hit streaming services in May 2023. At first, it climbed slowly. Then the music video dropped in July, and suddenly the whole country had an opinion. The debate landed everywhere from cable news to kitchen tables. By the end of that week, you could not escape the phrase “try that in a small town.” It became a slogan, a debate topic, and yes, even a meme.
What makes a song travel this far this fast? It is never just the melody. It is the feeling behind the words. Whether you agree with Jason Aldean or not, this song touches something real. It talks about respect, safety, and the difference between city streets and country roads. These are not new ideas. But somehow, this song made them feel brand new again.
In this article, we are going to unpack everything. We will look at the lyrics line by line. We will meet the writers behind the words. We will explore the music video controversy, the memes that followed, and the shirts people now wear to concerts. We will answer the simple questions like “who sings this?” and “who wrote it?” along with the bigger questions about what it all means.
Whether you came here because you love the song, hate it, or just want to understand the buzz, you are in the right place. Let us walk through this together.
Who Sings “Try That in a Small Town”? Meet Jason Aldean
If you follow country music even a little bit, you already know the voice behind this song. Jason Aldean has been a fixture on country radio for nearly two decades. But for those who just discovered him through this viral moment, let me introduce you properly.
Jason Aldean was born in Macon, Georgia, in 1977. He grew up in a town called Macon, but he spent plenty of time in the smaller surrounding communities. That detail matters because some critics say he does not know small towns. The truth is, his roots run through places exactly like the ones he sings about.
His career took off in 2005 with his self-titled debut album. You probably remember the hits. “Hicktown” introduced us to his style. “Why” broke our hearts. “Amarillo Sky” showed he could tell a working man’s story better than almost anyone. By the time “She’s Country” and “Big Green Tractor” came around, he was already a superstar.
But Jason Aldean is more than just a list of hits. He lived through something no artist should ever have to experience. In 2017, he was performing onstage at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas when the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history happened. He was right there. He ran for his life like everyone else. That night changed him forever.
I bring this up because it shapes how I hear “Try That in a Small Town.” When Aldean sings about violence and fear, he is not guessing. He saw the worst of what humans can do to each other. He felt that terror personally. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, the man has earned the right to talk about safety and community.
Today, Jason Aldean has sold over 20 million albums. He has won every major award country music offers. He has a beautiful family with his wife Brittany, and together they have built a life in Tennessee. But with this song, he stepped into something bigger than awards. He stepped into the center of America’s cultural conversation. Love him or disagree with him, you cannot deny he showed up to speak his truth.
Try That in a Small Town” Lyrics: Full Song Text
The words of this song are what started everything. Before the video, before the debates, there were just the lyrics on a page. Let us look at them together in full. Read them slowly. Let them sit with you before we break them down.
Verse 1:
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk
Carjack an old lady at a red light
Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store
You think it’s cool, well, act a fool if you like
Pre-Chorus:
Cuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, ya think you’re tough
Chorus:
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
Verse 2:
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
Chorus:
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
Bridge:
Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right
If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll tell you
Final Chorus:
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
When you read these words on the page, what do you feel? Some people feel protected. They hear a promise that their community will stand together against troublemakers. Other people feel threatened. They hear a warning aimed at outsiders. This is the divide at the heart of the song.
The words are not complicated. There are no metaphors to decode. The song speaks plainly about right and wrong, about us and them, about consequences. Whether that is a beautiful thing or a dangerous thing depends entirely on who you are and where you stand.
Who Wrote “Try That in a Small Town”? Meet the Songwriters Behind the Hit
Jason Aldean is the voice, but he is not the only creative force behind this song. Four talented songwriters came together to build these words from the ground up. Their names are Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, and Tully Kennedy.
Kelley Lovelace has one of the most decorated careers in Nashville. He has written number one hits for artists like Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, and Rascal Flatts. His songs feel like conversations with an old friend. He has a gift for taking big feelings and making them feel small and personal.
Neil Thrasher is another giant in the songwriting world. He co-wrote “Amarillo Sky” with Kelley Lovelace, which became one of Jason Aldean’s earliest signature songs. Thrasher knows how to write about working people because he comes from working people. His words never feel like they are looking down at anyone.
Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy are not just songwriters. They are also the core of Jason Aldean’s touring band. They have spent thousands of hours on buses, in green rooms, and on stages with Jason. They know his voice. They know his audience. They know what feels right when the lights go down and the crowd sings along.
These four men sat down together and asked a simple question: what would happen if someone brought big-city crime into a small-town world? The song grew from there. It was not written overnight. It was shaped and polished until every word carried weight.
I find it interesting that all four writers have deep connections to small towns themselves. This is not a song written by outsiders guessing what life is like. These are men who grew up with front porches and Friday night lights. They wrote what they know.
The Music Video Controversy: Why Everyone Started Talking
The song existed for almost two months before the world truly exploded. Then, on July 14, 2023, the music video arrived. Nothing has been the same since.
The video was filmed at the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. It is a beautiful, historic building with white columns and green lawns. It looks like the picture of small-town America. But beneath that beauty lies a painful history. In 1927, a young Black man named Henry Choate was lynched there by a white mob. He was dragged behind a car and hanged from the courthouse window.
I do not believe the filmmakers chose this location to be cruel. I think they saw a classic courthouse and thought it looked perfect. But intent and impact are two different things. Once people learned the history, the location could not be unseen. For many viewers, filming a song about protecting small towns at the site of a racial terror lynching felt deeply wrong.
The video intercut Jason Aldean performing with news footage of protests and civil unrest. There were images of flag burnings, police confrontations, and demonstrators in the streets. The message felt clear: these are the outsiders who do not belong here. These are the people we must guard against.
CMT pulled the video from rotation almost immediately. Country Music Television decided they would not air it. This decision made headlines and turned a controversial song into an absolute wildfire. When networks ban something, audiences rush to hear it for themselves.
The debate spilled everywhere. Fox News defended the video as patriotic storytelling. MSNBC criticized it as dangerous dog whistling. Social media users dug through Jason Aldean’s past interviews and old tweets. Everyone had an opinion, and everyone was shouting.
Through it all, Jason Aldean defended his work. He said the song was not about race. He said it was about respect. He pointed out that the video included footage of protests from many backgrounds and causes. Whether you accept his explanation depends on how you interpret what you see.
The Real Meaning: What Is This Song Actually Saying?
Let us step back from the noise for a moment. Forget the video. Forget the debates. Forget what your political party tells you to think. What is this song actually saying?
On its surface, “Try That in a Small Town” is about consequences. It says that certain behaviors will not be tolerated in close-knit communities. If you commit violent crimes, disrespect law enforcement, or destroy public property, you will face a response. Neighbors will stand together. Wrongdoers will not last long.
This is not a new message in country music. Hank Williams Jr. sang “A Country Boy Can Survive” in 1982, promising that city criminals would not last long in rural America. Merle Haggard sang “Okie From Muskogee” in 1969, poking fun at hippies and protesting college students. Charlie Daniels warned the devil not to come down to Georgia. This tradition runs deep.
But something feels different this time. The earlier songs were playful. They winked at the audience. “Okie From Muskogee” was written partly as a joke by two men who had never even been to Muskogee. Hank Williams Jr. was telling a survival story, not issuing a threat. Charlie Daniels was fighting a mythical devil, not real neighbors.
“Try That in a Small Town” does not wink. It does not joke. It speaks in flat, serious statements. The melody is dark. The delivery is stern. This is not a party song. It is a warning.
Many listeners hear this song as a celebration of community. They hear a promise that good people will protect each other. Other listeners hear a threat aimed at outsiders, protesters, and people who look different. The same words carry completely different meanings depending on who hears them.
I believe this is why the song resonates so deeply. It is not vague. It is not wishy-washy. It takes a clear stand and dares you to disagree. In a world where most art tries to please everyone, this song is willing to make enemies. There is something oddly refreshing about that honesty.
Jason Aldean “Try That in a Small Town” Lyrics: Breaking Down the Most Talked-About Lines
Some lines in this song hit harder than others. Let us walk through the moments that sparked the biggest conversations.
“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk / Carjack an old lady at a red light”
These opening lines describe specific crimes. They are not political protests. They are not lifestyle differences. They are violent, victimizing acts that are illegal everywhere. Nobody defends sucker punching strangers or carjacking grandmothers. The song starts on common ground we all share.
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up”
Here is where the debate begins. The song moves from undeniable crimes to symbolic acts. Is cursing at a police officer the same as carjacking? Is burning a flag the same as pulling a gun? The lyrics place these behaviors side by side as if they carry equal weight. This is the decision that divides audiences.
“Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up”
This line refers to gun confiscation. The “they” in this sentence is never named. It hangs in the air like a shadow. Many listeners hear a reference to Democratic politicians proposing gun control. Others hear paranoid conspiracy theories. The vagueness is intentional. It allows each listener to fill in their own fears.
“Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right / If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll tell you”
This is the line that makes some people uncomfortable. “Good ol’ boys” is a term with complicated history. It can mean friendly neighbors sharing sweet tea. It can also mean exclusive groups that do not welcome outsiders. The song leans hard into this ambiguity.
“Try that in a small town”
The title line itself carries the weight. It is half warning, half dare. It promises that actions have consequences. It also suggests that cities lack the courage to enforce those consequences. The small town becomes not just different, but morally superior.
These lyrics work because they leave room for interpretation. You can hear exactly what you want to hear. That is great songwriting, even if it makes for uncomfortable conversations.
Try That in a Small Town Meme: How the Internet Took Over
You cannot have a viral moment in 2023 without memes. The internet did not wait for permission. As soon as the song and video appeared, the jokes started flying.
The most popular memes took the song’s serious tone and flipped it upside down. People started listing things that would actually fail in small towns. Good sushi. Reliable cell service. Public transportation that arrives on time. Vegan restaurants. The format was simple: try that in a small town, see how far you make it down the road.
Other memes imagined small-town residents trying to handle modern situations. Someone asking for oat milk at the local diner. A food delivery driver trying to find an address without street numbers. An Uber driver waiting for a fare at the county fair. The contrast between the song’s intense warnings and these silly everyday struggles made people laugh.
Not all the memes were friendly. Critics created mashups contrasting the song’s lyrics with the courthouse’s lynching history. Some users edited the video to include footage of mass shootings in rural areas, pointing out that violence happens everywhere. The meme war became part of the larger cultural battle over what the song really means.
Jason Aldean himself stayed mostly quiet about the memes. His wife Brittany was less restrained. She fired back at critics on Instagram, defending her husband and accusing the media of twisting his message. This only added more fuel to the fire.
Love them or hate them, the memes accomplished something important. They kept the conversation going long after a normal news cycle would have moved on. Every new joke was a new invitation to discuss the song. Whether you were laughing or fuming, you were thinking about Jason Aldean.
Try That in a Small Town Shirt: Fashion Meets Protest
When a song becomes this big, it leaves the radio and lands on people’s chests. The “Try That in a Small Town” shirt became one of the most visible merchandise items of 2023.
The shirts are simple. Most feature the song title in bold letters. Some add American flags, eagle graphics, or distressed vintage styling. They look like any other country concert souvenir. But these shirts quickly became more than merchandise. They became statements.
Wearing this shirt to a Jason Aldean concert is a sign of solidarity. It says you stand with the artist and agree with his message. It connects you to thousands of other fans who feel the same way. It is tribal identification, pure and simple.
But wearing this shirt outside the concert venue means something else entirely. It is a political declaration. It announces your stance on protests, policing, patriotism, and rural identity. People who would never discuss these topics in conversation are suddenly broadcasting their beliefs through cotton and ink.
I watched this happen in my own community. A teenager wore the shirt to our local grocery store. An older customer stopped him and thanked him for his patriotism. Another shopper muttered something under her breath and walked away. Three strangers connected and divided simultaneously, all because of one shirt.
This is the power of cultural flashpoints. They turn simple choices into meaningful statements. Buying a shirt is never just buying a shirt. It is joining a team, declaring allegiance, and accepting the responses that come with it.
Complete Song Details Table
| Category | Information |
|---|---|
| Song Title | Try That in a Small Town |
| Primary Artist | Jason Aldean |
| Album | Highway Desperado (2023) |
| Release Date | May 22, 2023 |
| Music Video Release | July 14, 2023 |
| Songwriters | Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy |
| Producer | Michael Knox |
| Record Label | Broken Bow Records / Macon Music |
| Genre | Country, Country Rock |
| Running Time | 3 minutes, 20 seconds |
| Filming Location | Maury County Courthouse, Columbia, Tennessee |
| Video Director | Shaun Silva |
| Peak Billboard Hot 100 | No. 1 |
| Peak Country Airplay | No. 1 |
| CMT Status | Pulled from rotation July 2023 |
| Controversy Focus | Location history, protest footage, vigilante themes |
| Previous Aldean Controversy | 2021 “Hidin’ from Biden” children’s clothing line |
| Response Song | “Smaller Than This” by Sara Kays (2023) |
| Notable Covers | Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell (live performances) |
Frequently Asked Questions About “Try That in a Small Town”
Q: Who sings “Try That in a Small Town”?
A: Country music superstar Jason Aldean performs this song. He has been a leading voice in country music since his 2005 debut album.
Q: Who wrote “Try That in a Small Town”?
A: Four talented songwriters created this track. Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher, Kurt Allison, and Tully Kennedy wrote the lyrics and music together. Allison and Kennedy also play in Jason Aldean’s touring band.
Q: What are the “Try That in a Small Town” lyrics about?
A: The lyrics describe violent crimes and disrespectful behaviors that happen in cities. The song warns that these actions will not be tolerated in small, close communities where neighbors watch out for each other.
Q: Why was the music video so controversial?
A: Two main factors sparked the controversy. First, the video was filmed at a Tennessee courthouse with a documented history of a 1927 lynching. Second, the video intercut performance footage with clips of protests and civil unrest, which many viewers interpreted as threatening toward demonstrators.
Q: Did CMT ban the video?
A: Yes. CMT pulled the video from its rotation shortly after its release. Other networks made their own decisions, with some continuing to play it and others following CMT’s lead.
Q: What does “got a gun that my granddad gave me” mean?
A: This line refers to family heirlooms and traditional gun ownership. The following line mentions “they say one day they’re gonna round up,” which many listeners interpret as fear of future gun confiscation by the government.
Q: Is Jason Aldean from a small town?
A: Jason Aldean was born in Macon, Georgia, which is a mid-sized city. However, he spent significant time in smaller surrounding communities throughout his childhood. His bandmates and co-writers have strong small-town roots.
Q: What is the “Try That in a Small Town” meme?
A: Internet users created thousands of jokes based on the song’s title. Popular memes list things that would fail in rural areas, like ride-sharing services, trendy restaurants, or reliable high-speed internet. The format contrasts the song’s serious tone with silly everyday situations.
Q: Where can I find a “Try That in a Small Town” shirt?
A: Official merchandise is available through Jason Aldean’s website and at his concert tour stops. Many third-party sellers also offer their own versions of the design through online platforms.
Q: How did the song perform on the charts?
A: Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, the song became Jason Aldean’s first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Country Airplay chart and streaming rankings.
Conclusion: Why This Song Matters Beyond the Music
We have walked through the lyrics, the writers, the video, the memes, and the shirts. We have examined the debates from every angle. Now comes the question that really matters: why should we care?
Songs come and go. Controversies flare and fade. Next year, there will be a different artist, a different song, and a different argument flooding your social media feed. But “Try That in a Small Town” matters because of what it reveals about us.
This song became a mirror. When people looked at it, they did not just see Jason Aldean. They saw their own fears, their own values, and their own assumptions about America. Some people saw a hero defending their way of life. Some people saw a bully punching down on the vulnerable. The song itself did not change. The viewers brought their own histories and hopes with them.
I believe the most powerful art does not provide answers. It asks questions and forces us to confront our own responses. “Try That in a Small Town” asks us what community means. It asks whether safety is worth the cost of exclusion. It asks who belongs and who decides. These are not easy questions. They do not have simple answers.
Whether you stream this song daily or change the station every time it comes on, you have participated in something significant. You have engaged with art that made you feel something real. That is rare and valuable, even when the feelings are uncomfortable.
I invite you to sit with your own response. Not what your friends think. Not what cable news tells you to think. Your genuine, honest reaction to these three minutes and twenty seconds of music. That reaction belongs to you alone. It is a small piece of who you are and what you believe.
You may also like to read: The Three Week Rule Explained: What It Really Means for Your Love Life
About the Author
