Since 2005, Aldean has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released 11 albums and 40 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.
On August 24, 2023, Aldean announced his eleventh album Highway Desperado, which was released on November 3, 2023, and released the song "Let Your Boys Be Country" the following day.
They Don't Know
Jason Aldean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, they say what's there to do when you ain't got nothin' around
Just a few street lights, speed limit signs that all say twenty-five
But those folks ain't lived in our lives
They ain't seen the blood, sweat and tears it took to live their dreams
When everything's on the line
Ain't just another field, just another farm
They think it's a middle of nowhere place where we take it slow
Aw, but they don't know
All they see is tractors, barbwire and tall green grass
They don't see the years spent working, busting their ass
How they pray for rain
They don't know a thing
About what it takes
Livin' this way
They ain't seen the blood, sweat and tears it took to live their dreams
When everything's on the line
Ain't just another field just another farm
No, it's the ground we grew up on
They think it's a middle of nowhere place where we take it slow
Aw, but they don't know
They call us a two lane just passing by slow down town
Yeah, they say what's there to do when you ain't got nothin' around
They ain't seen the blood, sweat and tears it took to live their dreams
When everything's on the line
Ain't just another field just another farm
No, it's the ground we grew up on
They think it's a middle of nowhere place where we take it slow
Aw, but they don't know
No, they don't know
"They Don't Know" by Jason Aldean is a country song that speaks to the concept of small-town living and how difficult it can be for outsiders to understand the values, work ethic, and struggles that locals face. The song speaks to how people from small towns are often underestimated, belittled, and seen as unimportant by those who have not had the chance to get to know them. Aldean describes the small town as a two-lane road where everything is in slow motion, with only a few street lights and twenty-five mile per hour speed limit signs. To outsiders, the town might seem uneventful and mundane, but for those who have grown up there, it is a place filled with love, resilience, and a sense of community.
The lyrics emphasize how the people in small towns work hard and sacrifice a lot to live their dreams, regardless of how ambitious or small those dreams may be. Aldean highlights the blood, sweat, and tears that go into making a life in a small town, whether it's working on a farm, raising a family, or trying to launch a business. As people in small towns pray for rain, work long hours, and face setbacks and obstacles, they remain resilient and proud of their roots.
The song ultimately argues that outsiders will never fully understand the people from small towns, their values or what their lifestyle means to them. They will always underestimate them and consider their home a “middle of nowhere place”. This is because outsiders have not experienced the type of lifestyle that is required to create a living in such a place. Small towns in all their simplicity and lack of activity offer a way of life that people from the city cannot comprehend.
Line by Line Meaning
They call us a two lane just passing by slow down town
People from outside our town think it's just a small, insignificant place
Yeah, they say what's there to do when you ain't got nothin' around
Outsiders wonder what there is to do in a place like ours
Just a few street lights, speed limit signs that all say twenty-five
Our town may be small with just a few streets, but we know every inch of it
But those folks ain't lived in our lives
Outsiders haven't experienced what it's like to grow up in our town
All they see is tractors, barbwire and tall green grass
Outsiders only see the surface of our town - farms, fields, and countryside
They don't see the years spent working, busting their ass
Outsiders don't understand the hard work and dedication it takes to make a living in our town
How they pray for rain
Farmers in our town rely on rain for their livelihood, which outsiders don't understand
They don't know a thing
Outsiders have no clue about our struggles and hardships
About what it takes
Outsiders don't realize the sacrifices we make to achieve our dreams
Livin' this way
Our way of life may not be glamorous, but it's ours and we take pride in it
Ain't just another field just another farm
Our farms and fields are more than just land - they are part of our identity
No, it's the ground we grew up on
Our land is not just soil, it's where we learned important life lessons and became who we are
They think it's a middle of nowhere place where we take it slow
Outsiders believe our town is insignificant and slow-paced
Aw, but they don't know
But outsiders don't have a clue about the depth and richness of our town
They ain't seen the blood, sweat and tears it took to live their dreams
Outsiders don't understand the effort and struggle it takes to pursue our passions and achieve success
When everything's on the line
When we risk everything to pursue our dreams, outsiders don't understand the stakes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT MICHAEL ALLISON, JARON CALEB BOYER, JOSH MIRENDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jo Bear
sends chills down my spine
Alec Tomczyk
Jason's songs keep getting better and better..
Amber Wolfe
Alec Tomczyk I know
Adrian Orozco
Alec Tomczyk right jason aldean is the best
Ghosts Squad
I Know Right
XItzNutella
His new song though wow I like it
brandon anderson
We back.
jase zimmerman
Love the way he keeps his music his own style. Love ittt
Upstate NY Patriot
Wow, his music always has such great meaning. Proud to be one of those small town people he is singing about. Thank you for such a great song! ❤
jeffrey carrow
this song always makes me think about willsboro new york where i grew up cheers from plattsburgh