Aaron Lewis’ liberal-bashing country anthem, ‘Am I the Only One,’ is defended by label
Aaron Lewis, the former lead singer of the rock band Staind, has one of the hottest country songs in the United States — but it’s not without its controversy.
Titled “Am I the Only One,” the acoustic track takes aim at liberals as Lewis ponders what is going on in the United States. The song touches on American flags burning and statues that have been removed in the country.
“I’m not the only one, willin’ to fight / For my love of the red and white / And the blue, burnin’ on the ground / Another statue comin’ down in a town near you,” Lewis sings in the chorus.
Debuting earlier this month, the song topped the Hot Country Songs chart on Billboard last week. As of Tuesday, it is the No. 4 country song on iTunes.
Popular music blogger Bob Lefsetz called the song heinous, referring to Lewis as a “middle class, right-wing wanker.” He asked why Scott Borchetta, founder of Big Machine Label Group, marketed the song, and the head of the label later responded.
Borchetta said he and Lewis have political disagreements, but he believes in the First Amendment when it comes to song lyrics.
“It doesn’t work if we’re so divided that we can’t reach across the aisle, have a conversation or an argument, and ultimately, shake hands,” Borchetta wrote in a post that Lefsetz featured on his blog. “If we can’t do that, and this moment is so divisive, we may never get our country back.”
He added that to “cancel” Lewis would be ridiculous, and that not all listeners have to agree with the message Lewis is sending through the song.
“Let it be a wake up call to reps and dems alike – be loud and be heard!” Borchetta said. “It woke you up. It inspired you to make a statement. It worked. And it’s working. It’s inspiring conversation.”
“Am I the Only One” has not yet hit radio waves. Big Machine’s subsidiary, Valory, will begin promoting the song on country radio next week, Billboard reported.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Aaron Lewis’ liberal-bashing country anthem, ‘Am I the Only One,’ is defended by label."