Jason Aldean defends ‘Try That in a Small Town’ amid backlash

Jason Aldean defended himself Tuesday after CMT pulled the controversial music video for his song “Try That in a Small Town” from its rotation amid accusations it is pro-lynching and racist.

“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,” Aldean, 46, wrote in a statement posted to his Instagram Story.

“These references are not only meritless, but dangerous.”

In the first verse, Aldean sings: “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 like.”

He continues: “Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you’re tough.”

Then comes the 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,” Aldean warns.

In the second verse, Aldean claims he’s equipped with a gun from his grandfather.

“Got a gun that my grandad gave me / They say one day they’re gonna round up / Well, that s–t may fly in the city, good luck,” he advises, though it’s unclear who “they” refers to.

The music video, which was released Friday, features footage from protests, including BLM protests.

Aldean stands in front of an American flag draped over the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which is where the 1946 Columbia race riot unfolded.

The conflict almost led to the lynching of Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice.

The city was also the backdrop for the lynching of 18-year-old Henry Choate in 1927.

Variety called Aldean’s tune “the most contemptible country song of the decade,” while social media users lambasted him as “a racist who writes barely concealed lynching songs” and a “violent bigot.”

The Post has contacted reps for Aldean and CMT for comment.

Elsewhere in the song, the singer croons: “Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right / If you’re looking for a fight / Try that in a small town.”

“There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it — and there isn’t a single 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,” Aldean continued on Instagram, referencing the 2017 Las Vegas festival mass shooting and, seemingly, the Covenant School shooting in Nashville.

“‘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,” Aldean explained.

“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 the song is about,” the outspoken conservative concluded.

Aldean — who recently suffered heat stroke onstage in Connecticut — and his wife, Brittany, 35, are no strangers to controversy.

Last year, Aldean was dropped by his p.r. firm of 17 years following Brittany’s transphobic remarks online.

The incident launched the couple into a feud with fellow country star Maren Morris, 33.

The pair also spent New Year’s Eve at Mar-a-Lago, where Brittany received a kiss on the forehead from former President Donald Trump, 77.