Since 2005, Aldean has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released 10 albums and 38 singles. His 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2012 album Night Train is certified double-platinum, while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless, 2009 album Wide Open, 2014 album Old Boots, New Dirt are all certified platinum. Aldean has received five Grammy Award nominations throughout his career, twice for Best Country Album.
On July 23, 2021, Aldean released the single "If I Didn't Love You", featuring Carrie Underwood. It was the leadoff single to his tenth studio album, a double album project entitled Macon, Georgia. The first half, Macon, was released on November 12, 2021.
On January 14, 2022, "Trouble with a Heartbreak" was released as the album's second single and is the leadoff single to the second half of the album, Georgia, which was released on April 22, 2022.
On March 25, 2022, Aldean and Brantley Gilbert released the single "Rolex® on a Redneck".
On June 13th, 2022 Aldean released the single "That's What Tequila Does" to country radio ,from the double album "Macon, Georgia".
In 2023, Aldean sparked controversy as his song "Try That In A Small Town" as well as its music video attacked the Black Lives Matter movement and promoted guns. Both have been criticized as racist and for allegedly promoting gun violence. Aldean has denied the allegations. CMT later pulled the music video for the song in response to these allegations. The music video was also shot at the site of the lynching of black man Henry Choate in 1927, leading to accusations of Aldean supporting lynchings. Aldean has also denied these allegations. After the song's peak position on the Hot 100 was revealed, several allegations of chart fixing and payola were made against Aldean as his song has chart well higher than the final chart projections from 2 days before it was revealed.
Church Pew or Bar Stool
Jason Aldean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Small town Friday night
Revin' up at a red light
On your mark, get set, go
Passin' mom and pop restaurants
Seein' four trucks parked out front
I guess you gotta make your own fun
When you're stuck in a place this slow
There's only two means of salvation around here
That seem to work
Whiskey or the Bible
A shot glass or revival
When you don't seem to run on either side of the fence
People act like you don't make sense
These big town dreams that I've been chasin'
Will never come true if I wind up stayin'
And I don't want to fall in the same rut
That everybody here seems to be stuck in now
Why do I hang around
In this church pew or bar stool kinda town
I'm like that AM station
That never comes in right
'Til you pass the city limit sign
That's the only time it all gets clear
It's crystal clear that I
Just need to find
A place where there is no lines
Nothin' like it is around here
Someplace where it don't feel like
This world revolves around
Whiskey or the Bible
A shot glass or revival
When you don't seem to run on either side of the fence
People act like you don't make sense
These big town dreams that I've been chasin'
Will never come true if I wind up stayin'
And I don't want to fall in the same rut
That everybody here seems to be stuck in now
Why do I hang around
In this church pew or bar stool kinda town
Here it sometimes feels just like
This world revolves around
Whiskey or the Bible
A shot glass or revival
When you don't seem to run on either side of the fence
People act like you don't make sense
These big town dreams that I've been chasin'
Will never come true if I wind up stayin'
And I don't want to fall in the same rut
That everybody here seems to be stuck in now
Why do I hang around
In this church pew or bar stool kinda town
Yeah I need to get out
Of this church pew or bar stool kinda town
Yeah, yeah
The song Church Pew Or Bar Stool by Jason Aldean is about feeling trapped in a small town and the limited options for entertainment and salvation. The song talks about the monotony of small town life and how people in such places tend to rely on only two things – alcohol and religion – to escape the boredom and find a sense of fulfillment in their lives. The opening lines suggest that there is not much happening on a small town Friday night, with the only excitement being passing by mom-and-pop restaurants that are closed for the night. The metaphor of “revving up at a red light” captures the frustration and restlessness that come with being stuck in a place that feels stagnant and limiting.
The two means of salvation mentioned in the song are whiskey or the Bible, which represent the two seemingly opposite paths that people in the town take to find meaning and connection. However, the singer of the song feels alienated from either of these options and longs for something more in life. He feels like he doesn’t fit in with the town’s residents, who seem content with their small town lives and don’t share his big town dreams. He worries that he will be stuck in the same rut as everyone else if he doesn’t leave and pursue his aspirations elsewhere.
The song’s chorus emphasizes the singer’s desire to break free from the limitations of his small town life and find a place where there are no lines or boundaries. He wants to escape the world that revolves around whiskey and the Bible and find a place where he can make his dreams come true. The lyrics suggest that he feels like an outsider in his own town and that he needs to leave in order to find his true self and live a fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
Not a whole lot goin' on
The small town is quite boring and quiet
Small town Friday night
The night-life in this small town is nothing exciting
Revin' up at a red light
The small town has very few activities, so people have to make their own fun with things like drag racing at the stoplight
On your mark, get set, go
The drag race begins
Passin' mom and pop restaurants
The town has very few commercial activities, so most businesses are family-owned restaurants
Seein' four trucks parked out front
People in the small town mostly drive pickup trucks, and there are few other vehicles on the road
I guess you gotta make your own fun
People in the small town have to find ways to entertain themselves since there are few activities available
When you're stuck in a place this slow
The slow pace of life in the small town can make people feel trapped
There's only two means of salvation around here
The only ways to cope with life in the small town are through drinking whiskey or attending church services
That seem to work
These two things are the only effective coping mechanisms for the people in the small town
Whiskey or the Bible
In the small town, people either drink themselves into oblivion or turn to religion to cope with their life situation
A shot glass or revival
Drinking or attending church services are the only ways to escape or deal with the monotony of life in the small town
When you don't seem to run on either side of the fence
When you don’t fit in one of the two coping mechanisms, you feel left out by the community
People act like you don't make sense
People in the small town don’t understand those who don’t drink or attend religious services
These big town dreams that I've been chasin'
The singer has dreams and aspirations of living in a big city or other places with more opportunities
Will never come true if I wind up stayin'
If the artist stays in the small town, their dreams and aspirations won’t be fulfilled
And I don't want to fall in the same rut
The artist fears getting stuck in the same mundane life as everyone else in the small town
That everybody here seems to be stuck in now
Many people in the small town have given up on pursuing their dreams, and the singer doesn't want that to happen to them
Why do I hang around
The singer questions their decision to stay in the small town
In this church pew or bar stool kinda town
The town revolves around either drinking or religion, which doesn’t fit the artist’s world view
I'm like that AM station
The artist feels like they don’t belong in the small town
That never comes in right
The artist feels misplaced in the small town; they feel like an outsider
‘Til you pass the city limit sign
The singer feels like they belong somewhere else, and that other place is beyond the city limits of the small town
That's the only time it all gets clear
Once the artist leaves the small town, they're finally able to see things more clearly and find their true calling
Just need to find
The singer needs to find a new place to call home
A place where there is no lines
The singer is looking for a place where people aren't divided by their religious or drinking preferences
Nothin' like it is around here
The singer is looking for a place with more diverse lifestyle options and opportunities
Someplace where it don't feel like
The artist is searching for a place where they feel like they belong
This world revolves around
The world of the small town is focused only on drinking and religion
Yeah I need to get out
The singer is determined to leave the small town and find a better life elsewhere
Of this church pew or bar stool kinda town
The singer wants to escape the narrow-minded culture of the small town
Yeah, yeah
An expression of strong conviction to get out of the small town life
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael Howard, Adam Craig Seaunier, Josh Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind