Our family took some pretty big steps in faith to be able to move from a big city to what many would consider to be a small town. While we’ve loved our time in cities and enjoyed a lot of what the ones we lived in had to offer, we’ve never felt more at home than where we are right now. We love the pace of life, the safety, the community, and the values that our small town offers and upholds.
Given my feelings toward small towns, it piqued my interest when several Christian friends on social media shared a meme that talked about the popularity of the song, “Try That in a Small Town” by Jason Aldean. Its success is being portrayed as a “win” for conservatives in today’s culture war. I hadn’t heard the song, so I looked it up. I was surprised to see that the song was marked with an “explicit” tag, so I looked up the lyrics, and, sure enough, there is a swear word in it. Here are the lyrics with that word and the repeated lines edited out:
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk
Carjack an old lady at a red light
Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store
Ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya likeCuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, ya think you’re toughWell, 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 townGot a gun that my granddad gave me
They say one day they’re gonna round up
Well, that **** might fly in the city, good luck[…]
Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right
-Jason Aldean, “Try That In A Small Town”
If you’re looking for a fight
Try that in a small town
Christians are called to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Instead of viewing these words as conservative, patriotic Americans, how should we view them as Christians aiming to think as Jesus thinks?
THE GOOD
As I look at these lyrics as a Christian, I do see some things that are good. In general, there’s a theme that runs through a good portion of the song that aligns with the great command that spans God’s covenants, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31). In small towns, people consider their fellow man to be one of their own, and, as Aldean says, “We take care of our own.” If only small-town churches, big-city churches, and Christians in general saw the connection between themselves and their fellow man, and each person determined to “look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others,” choosing to “esteem others better than himself” (Philippians 2:3-4).
Further, I think it’s good that Adlean has evaluated and called out certain behaviors as being wrong. Christians sometimes perceive identifying sin as being judgmental or unloving, but it’s actually unloving not to “judge righteous judgment” and help others “remove the speck from” their eye (John 7:24; Matthew 7:5). Paul said, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NASB).
Aldean is also right in his first verse to point out that the violence and crime that are all too commonplace in cities represent foolish behavior. Reading the first verse of his song reminds me of Amos’ appraisal of the Israelites: “‘For they do not know to do right,’ Says the LORD, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces’” (Amos 3:10). Violence and robbery should have no place in any society; both represent crimes that God will judge.
Aldean’s second stanza speaks against people’s treatment of police offers and the flag. His words remind us that while “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), we do have some responsibilities towards the country we call home and to its government. Peter said,
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king (1 Peter 2:13-17).
Christians are to honor and serve all people while they serve God. While police officers in particular aren’t mentioned by Peter, note how obedience and respect are to be given both to the higher authorities and “those who are sent […] for the punishment of evildoers.” This is exactly the role that police officers fulfill. Further, while flag burning isn’t currently illegal, it’s hard to show honor to all people while showing blatant disrespect to something that so many people honor.
THE BAD
That all being said, as someone who loves typical small-town values, it’s sad to see the way that Aldean is championing them. I know things are changing these days, but if I used the word that earned his song its explicit lyrics tag even once in the hearing of any teacher or other similar authority figure when I was growing up, I would have been in trouble (try that in a small town!). As a Christian, I have to remember, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29).
It also seems strange to me that Aldean perceives rallying to protect the liquor store as something that a small town does. While I would never want any store owner to be subjected to violence and/or theft, I would also love to see a day when there weren’t any liquor stores to rob. As Proverbs 23:29-35 points out, alcohol so often is surrounded by violence, and a community would be far better off if it followed Solomon’s advice: “Do not look on [it].” In fact, some small-town communities have become dry towns/counties to help keep alcohol out.
Another issue that American Christians in particular may have a hard time accepting relates to the song’s statements regarding the right to bear arms. Aldean effectively promises to disobey should gun control reforms ever threaten to take a treasured firearm. While guns serve a purpose in rural life that city dwellers really don’t understand and while a Christian may be able to reason out some provision for self-defense from Scripture that may involve firearms (e.g., Luke 22:35-38), the fact is that the right to bear arms is a privilege and not a God-given right. Christians will have a hard time taking Aldean’s stance and obeying Peter’s command, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). There’s also a potential catch-22 here: would those who agree with this song’s message still respect the police if they were the ones sent to round up the firearms?
THE UGLY
Even after sifting through some of the specifically good and bad elements in the lyrics, there’s an ugly reality that must be addressed. The good message of the song – that people in small towns have moral fiber and look after one another – is kept from being any kind of Christian message because of what lies at the heart of its message. The song is basically one big threat. In fact, it very clearly affirms that “good… boys, raised… right” are prepared should anyone come “looking for a fight.”
Threatening simply isn’t something that Christians seeking to be conformed to the image of Jesus should do. Peter said of Jesus, “you should follow in His steps,” and specifically said, “when He suffered, He did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:21-22). There’s only so far you can take the image of Jesus turning over the tables in the temple. While Jesus would defend the honor of God’s house at any cost, He personally suffered incredible mistreatment and injustice at the hand of religious authorities, civil authorities, and fellow Jews. Peter prefaces His words about Jesus by saying “But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:20).
Rather than defend our small slice of the world through our fighting prowess as Aldean suggests, Christians are called to transform the world, not by overcoming evil with superior strength but by overcoming “evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Satan loves when people repay blow with blow and curse with curse. His power is undone when we choose to “Repay no one evil for evil,” and instead, “bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14, 17).
CONCLUSION
“Try That In A Small Town” isn’t a message that belongs in a small-town church or in any church for that matter. Let’s take the good of the song, reject the bad, and show people in our town (or city) how Christians fight for change: not with fists, knives, or guns, but with a powerful, life-changing, soul-altering message that is preached and lived.
Practically Exegetical 