In the song, Jason sings about different kinds of criminal behavior and dares offenders to "try that in a small town," against the "good ol' boys, raised up right."
"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."
The video included images of an American flag and what appeared to be the racial justice protests of 2020, and was set, in part, against a Tennessee courthouse known for being the site of a former lynching.
Jason ended up taking to social media to defend himself amid the controversy, saying people misinterpreted the video.
"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. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous," he wrote.
Jason continued, saying: "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."
The "Burnin' It Down" singer then seemed to deny that the song has a pro-gun message by reminding fans how he was present at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting when an assailant opened fire and killed 60 people. "NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart," he continued. "'Try That in a Small Town,' for me, refers to 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."
Jason added: "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."
You can see his full statement below.
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. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.…
