Sheryl Crowis speaking out aboutJason Aldean’s controversial new song “Try That in a Small Town”
On Tuesday, the singer-songwriter, 61, hit out at Aldean over his new track — which has lyrics including “Got a gun that my granddad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s— might fly in the city, good luck/Try that in a small town —in a candid Twitter post.
“@Jason_Aldean I’m from a small town. Even people in small towns are sick of violence,” Crow wrote.
“There’s nothing small-town or American about promoting violence," she added. “You should know that better than anyone having survived a mass shooting. This is not American or small town-like. It’s just lame.”
The “All I Wanna Do” singer has beena vocal advocate for stricter gun control measuresand in March performed at a vigil for victims of the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, where three staff members and three students were killed.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images; Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Sheryl Crow performs at Summerfest music festival 2023.Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
On Tuesday, the “Try That in a Small Town” singer shared a lengthy statement on social media where he explained what the song meant to him and why he finds the accusations “dangerous.”
“In the past 24 hours, I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests,” Aldeanwrote on Twitter.
“These references are not only meritless but dangerous. 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 continued.
Jason Aldean performs at the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards.Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
Aldean also noted that he was present during a 2017 mass shooting: “As so many pointed out, I was present at Route 91 - where so many lost their lives- and our community recently suffered another heartbreaking tragedy. NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
To Aldean, “Try That in a Small Town” is about “the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief.”
“Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to - that’s what this song is about,” he concluded.
source: people.com
