America’s white working-class anthems tell stories the left wants to forget.
In mid-July, country singer Jason Aldean released a video for his song “Try That in a Small Town,” which quickly became a lightning rod for political controversy. The video is filled with political code, juxtaposing images of Aldean singing in front of a small-town courthouse with violent scenes from American cities. The visuals were originally accompanied by news clips of Black Lives Matter protests, which were later removed, but the message was clear: the song was invoking a narrative of traditional small-town values juxtaposed against perceived chaos in urban areas.
The song’s lyrics and imagery refer to a nostalgic, almost mythical, vision of small-town justice, where “good ‘ol boys raised up right” take the law into their own hands with the guns passed down from their grandfathers. This harkens back to an antiquated view of vigilante justice, a theme that taps into a deep vein of America’s racial and cultural divisions. The courthouse where Aldean filmed his video has a grim history, having been the site of the lynching of a Black teenager, Henry Choate, in 1927. Choate was brutally murdered by a white mob, his body left to send a chilling message to the Black community.
For many, Aldean’s video struck a nerve because it conjured images of a violent and racist past, one that many would prefer to forget. The connection to the history of lynching and racial violence is difficult to ignore, particularly when Aldean’s song is celebrated by many who see it as a powerful anthem of conservative values and rural America’s identity. Yet this celebration is not without its critics, especially within the political left, who view the song as emblematic of a broader cultural war over America’s history and values.
The release of Aldean’s song and video has intensified a cultural clash between conservative and progressive America, especially when it comes to the portrayal of white working-class identity. The left, which is increasingly focused on issues of racial justice and systemic inequality, finds itself at odds with the cultural narratives perpetuated by figures like Aldean, who frame small-town life and rural values as something to be defended against urban liberalism. The right, in turn, has embraced these narratives, positioning country music as a vehicle for expressing traditional American values and defiance against a changing society.
The broader cultural implications of this battle are significant, especially as country music has long been a voice for white working-class America. These anthems tell stories of a past and a lifestyle that many Democrats and progressives would prefer to leave behind, stories that often downplay or ignore the racial inequities embedded in America’s history. In doing so, they contribute to a cultural divide that goes beyond politics, reinforcing a narrative of America that is defined by rural conservatism and white identity.
For Democrats, this presents a challenge. As the left seeks to address issues of race, class, and inequality, it risks alienating large swaths of the American electorate, particularly in rural areas, who see the growing cultural influence of country music as an extension of their own identity and values. The rise of artists like Aldean, who embody a distinctly conservative, white, working-class ethos, is a reminder that the cultural war over America’s future is not just a matter of political policy, but a battle over which values will define the nation moving forward.
