The song which is 6 minutes long attempts to address race relations from a modern day perspective and touches on the history of slavery. The song is a lyrical conversation between the two artists, each addressing racial issues. However, critics as well as the online world in general have come out saying that the song is simply bizarre and horrible.
Portions of the lyrics include Paisley singing ‘Your generation didn’t start this nation and we’re still paying for the mistakes that a bunch of folks made long before we came.’ While LL Cool J responds ‘Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood what the world is really like when you’re livin’ in the hood. Just because my pants are saggin’ doesn’t mean I’m up to no good.’
Billboard magazine’s editor, Joe Levy, explained that the controversy mainly sparks from the way the audience perceives that the two artists have taken a complex subject and in a way trivialized. Levy said that the song is in actual sense an important conversation that most Americans do not want to address especially in country music. He added that in his view Paisley took on the subject as a way of challenging his audience.
