One of the best country songs on Jason Aldean’s 2018 album Rearview Town is Try That in a Small Town. David Lee Murphy, Ben Hayslip, and Brett Beavers wrote the midtempo tune. It takes a loving look at the peculiarities of small town life. Guitars support Aldean’s strong vocal performance. The song showcases Aldean’s mainstream, radio-friendly sound and went on to become a top 10 country hit for him.
(Lyrics) Try That In A Small Town
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
Summary
“Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalk” – Refers to suddenly and unexpectedly punching someone while walking down the sidewalk. In a big city, this might go unnoticed, but in a small town, everyone would quickly find out.
“Carjack an old lady at a red light” – Means taking a car from an elderly woman who is stopped at a traffic light, through force or threat of force. This is a serious crime that would be virtually impossible to hide in a small, gossip-fueled community.
“Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store” -Implies robbing a liquor store at gunpoint. Word of such a brazen armed robbery would undoubtedly spread like wildfire in a small, close-knit town.
“Ya think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like” – A warning that committing such reckless/illegal acts might seem exciting at the moment, but would have much more severe social consequences if done where everyone knows each other rather than anonymous city streets.
(Lyrics)
Cuss out a cop, spit in his face
Stomp on the flag and light it up
Yeah, ya think you’re tough
Summary
“Cuss out a cop, spit in his face” – Refers to disrespecting and insulting a police officer in extremely offensive ways that would almost certainly result in arrest.
“Stomp on the flag and light it up” – Implies disgracing/burning the American flag, which is both disrespectful and illegal. Authorities take such acts very seriously.
“Yeah, ya think you’re tough” – Suggests such provocative behavior is done to look tough or edgy, but would have much greater social/legal costs in a small, tight-knit community.
(Lyrics)
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
Try that in a small town
Summary
“Well, try that in a small town, see how far ya make it down the road” – Implying that if someone tried to get away with criminal behavior, they wouldn’t make it very far before local authorities and residents took action.
“Around here, we take care of our own” – Small towns are often very protective of their communities, and residents would quickly come together to enforce their values and protect each other from outsider threats.
“You cross that line, it won’t take long for you to find out” – The “line” refers to breaking the unwritten rules of acceptable behavior. Word would spread immediately about any transgressions.
“I recommend you don’t try that in a small town” – A direct warning not to attempt disruptive, dangerous or disrespectful acts, as the consequences would be much swifter and the person would struggle to escape their reputation there.
(Lyrics)
Got a gun that my granddad gave me
They say one day they’re gonna round up
Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck
Summary
“Got a gun that my granddad gave me” – Firearms are part of some families’ heritage and traditions, especially in rural areas.
“They say one day they’re gonna round up” – Perhaps a reference to rumored future gun control efforts like buybacks or seizures.
“Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck” – In large metropolitan areas with complex challenges, laws may be loosely applied at times. But firearms carry different expectations in tight-knit small towns, where disputes are usually solved through open communication over threats of violence.
(Lyrics)
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 town
Summary
“Well, try that in a small town, see how far ya make it down the road”
The singer issues a challenge to someone thinking they can get away with reckless behavior – try bringing that kind of negativity to a small, tight-knit community and see how accepting they are. You won’t make it far before running into trouble.
“Around here, we take care of our own”
Residents of small towns deeply value looking out for their neighbors and stick together when outsiders threaten community harmony or safety. There’s a strong sense of local identity and protection of their way of life.
“You cross that line, it won’t take long for you to find out”
Every small town has unspoken social rules and boundaries. If someone from outside breaks their code of conduct, word will spread in no time through the grapevine. Secrets don’t last long when everyone knows each other.
“For you to find out, I recommend you don’t try that in a small town”
A warning that displaying bad attitudes or illegal actions won’t be taken lightly. Outsiders who cause trouble will face swift, negative consequences as the tight-knit community rallies to defend their values and each other. It’s best not to test their resolve.
(Lyrics)
Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right
If you’re looking for a fight
Try that in a small town
Try that in a small town
Summary
“Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right”
Refers to the type of people who typically live in small, rural towns – hardworking guys who grew up with strong local values and community ties. Their upbringing instilled respect and pride.
“If you’re looking for a fight”
Suggests that intentionally causing trouble or disrespecting the town/people won’t be tolerated. While easygoing, locals are also willing to defend their way of life.
“Try that in a small town”
A repetition of the challenge to outsiders – test the limits of acceptable behavior in a tight-knit rural community and see the reaction.
“Try that in a small town”
Echoes the earlier warnings. Actions seen as antagonistic towards the Unified town/population will have real consequences enforced through social cohesion and traditional codes of conduct. Better to avoid disrupting the peaceful way of life.
(Lyrics)
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 town
Summary
“Try that in a small town, see how far ya make it down the road”
The singer issues a challenge to anyone thinking they can get away with rowdy or illegal behavior in a small town. He’s saying if you try to cause trouble, you won’t make it very far (“down the road”) before running into consequences.
“Around here, we take care of our own”
Small, tight-knit communities deeply value self-reliance and looking out for their neighbors. Residents have a strong sense of loyalty to one another and pride in their rural way of life. They stick together to defend local values and protect against outside threats.
“You cross that line, it won’t take long for you to find out”
Every small town has unwritten social codes of conduct. If an outsider breaks these rules or disrespects the community, word will spread like wildfire through the local gossip grapevine. Secrets don’t last long when everybody knows everybody.
“For you to find out, I recommend you don’t try that in a small town”
A clear warning – displaying disruptive, dangerous or illegal behavior won’t be tolerated. Outsiders who cause problems will quickly face serious blowback as the tight-knit residents unite against the transgression. It’s best not to test their strength in numbers or challenge how fiercely they defend their way of life.
(Lyrics)
Try that in a small town
Ooh-ooh
Try that in a small town
Summary
The singer issues a challenge, daring someone who thinks they can get away with wrongdoing to “try that” in a small, tight-knit rural community instead of an anonymous big city.
“Ooh-ooh”
This vocalization emphasizes and draws out the challenge, hinting that the consequences of crossing small town values and residents banding together will be impactful.
“Try that in a small town”
Repeating the dare underscores how seriously the singer, and presumably his fellow small town inhabitants, take protecting their way of life from outside threats. It’s not an empty challenge.
“Ooh-ooh”
Echoing the emphasis again stakes the warning – there will be real, felt results from sparking the outrage of an entire population united through interdependence, tradition and cooperation against a common enemy.
