Aaron Lewis Has a #1 Country Hit and it’s Garbage
Aaron Lewis and his band Staind were mainstays of rock radio in the early 2000s. 2001’s “Break the Cycle” is one of the best nu metal albums ever. Lewis eventually went a solo acoustic route and eventually fully into country. He hasn’t had any activity on ANY chart in about 10 years but he now has a #1 song on the Billboard Country charts…and it is hot garbage.
In another article on our website Lewis’ new single “Am I the Only One” is described as “staunchly patriotic”, a description I have a problem with. Words are supposed to have meaning and since when does “patriotic” mean “pissed off about Confederate statues being taken down”? Ceding the title of “patriotic” to whoever hugs the biggest flag or has the biggest Liberty Bell tattoo or whatever is just offensive to me.
Trust me, Aaron Lewis new song is garbage and I’ll explain why so you don’t ever have to listen to it. I’m including the video of the song but that’s only because I HAVE to (if I didn’t, an editor would).
“I think I’m turning into my Old Man”.
This is unusually self-aware for such a flag-a’wavin’, eagle-salutin’, America-first anthem. For lots of us, “turning into our old man” is a good thing. I’m sorry it’s such an angry, frustrating and, let’s face it, SCAREY transition for Aaron Lewis.
From there it’s your basic “people I disagree with hate ‘Merica” list of grievances that has made so much country music unlistenable for so long now.
“Am I the only one willin’ to bleed or take a bullet for being free?”
Wait…Aaron Lewis isn’t in the Army or a cop or anything like that. So, when he says he’s willing to take a bullet, what the hell is he talking about? The coming 2nd Civil War that so many Proud Boys and QAnon morons seem to actually be HOPING for? Maybe this line is dedicated to that one lady who got shot while trying to break into the Capitol on January 6th. I honestly can’t think of a single scenario where the guy from Staind might have to “take a bullet for being free”.
“The Red, White and Blue, burnin’ on the ground. Another statue comin’ down.”
Really, Aaron Lewis? With ALL the troubles you think America has right now, you thought statues of Confederate traitors being removed is SOOO egregious that you included it in the first 90 seconds of the song? I guess the “red, white and blue” Aaron Lewis really loves is probably the Confederate one.
“Screamin’, If you don’t like it there’s the freakin’ door.”
There it is. The tired old “love it or leave it” favored by Archie Bunker and, probably, your grandpa. You notice this bit of inane vileness is almost never hurled at a white guy? It was one of Trump’s go-tos , but only at The Squad. Never at a Caucasian. And, yeah, Aaron Lewis was wearing a MAGA hat at his concerts over the past few years.
“Am I the only one who’s quit singing along every time they play a Springsteen song.”
Bruce Springsteen’s politics are the opposite of Aaron Lewis’. Fine. But if you’re the one who’s singing that you don’t like Bruce Springsteen anymore because of his political views, I have only one request: please stop bitching about “cancel culture”.
This white-grievance-fest by Aaron Lewis doesn’t hold a candle to Waylon Jennings grandson Struggle Jennings (real name: Bill Harness. Also, not actually related to Waylon Jennings). This jackhole put out a video basically PRAISING the Capitol insurrectionists…FOUR MONTHS before it actually happened. He also does a roman a clef name-check of QAnon and Pizzagate. If you ever want to watch a 5 minute dirge calling you a “sheeple” this video is for you:
See Inside Aaron Lewis' Luxurious $3.5 Million Rural Castle: