Small Town

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"Small Town"
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Template:Infobox song/link by John Cougar Mellencamp
from the album Scarecrow
B-side"Small Town" (acoustic version)
ReleasedNovember 2, 1985
RecordedApril 17, 1985
StudioBelmont Mall Studio (Belmont, Indiana)
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LabelRiva Records
[[Songwriter|SongwriterTemplate:Pluralize from text]]John Mellencamp
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"Lonely Ol' Night"
(1985) 		"Small Town"
(1985) 		"R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A."
(1986)

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"Small Town" is a 1985 song written and recorded by John Mellencamp and released on his eighth album Scarecrow. The song reached number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart[2] and number 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Content

John Cougar Mellencamp wrote the song about his experiences growing up in a small town in Indiana, having been born in Seymour, Indiana, and living in Bloomington, Indiana, which, at the time of the release of the song, was larger. The music video has references to both towns. The song highlights the strong sense of community and shared values that can characterize a small town.[3]

Backstory

"I wrote that song in the laundry room of my old house," Mellencamp told American Songwriter magazine in 2004. "We had company, and I had to go write the song. And the people upstairs could hear me writing and they were all laughing when I came up. They said, 'You've got to be kidding.' What else can you say about it?"[4] Mellencamp later told The Wall Street Journal that he had written the lyrics using an electronic typewriter that beeped whenever he misspelled a word, which had amused the people listening upstairs; however, they were silenced when he played the song to them.[5] In 2013, Mellencamp told Rolling Stone, "I wanted to write a song that said, 'You don't have to live in New York or Los Angeles to live a full life or enjoy your life.' I was never one of those guys that grew up and thought, 'I need to get out of here.' It never dawned on me. I just valued having a family and staying close to friends."[6]

Reception

Cash Box called it "a rocking homage to the small town of the artist’s life and the small towns of America," saying that it is "infectious, meaningful and especially topical."[7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985–1986) Peak
position
Australia (Australian Music Report)[8] 80
Canada (RPM)[9] 13
United Kingdom (Top 100)[10] 53
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 6
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks 2
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[12] 13
New Zealand (Top 50)[13] 40

Year-end charts

Chart (1986) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[14] 72

In February 2020, the Michael Bloomberg 2020 presidential campaign released a campaign advertisement pitched at small American towns with declining economies, backed by Mellencamp singing "Small Town".[15][16][17]

Minnesota governor and 2024 vice presidential candidate Tim Walz used the song as his walk-on theme for rallies during the 2024 election, as a reference to his roots in small-town Nebraska.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 189. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
  2. ^ Small Town at AllMusic
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Olson, Emily (2023-07-20). "How Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' became a political controversy". NPR. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Zollo, Paul (January 1, 2005). "John Mellencamp Interview". American Songwriter. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Myers, Marc (22 June 2016). "Born in a 'Small Town': How John Mellencamp Wrote the Song". The Wall Street Journal. News Corp. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."John Mellencamp: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. November 2, 1985. p. 15. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20.
  10. ^ Official Charts Company
  11. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - Template:ISBN
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 161.
  13. ^ Charts.nz
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pompei, Elizabeth (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp supports Mike Bloomberg in ad about 'Small Town' America". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Mamo, Hernan (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp Endorses Mike Bloomberg For President With New 'Small Town' Ad". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Kurtz, Judy (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp cuts ad for Bloomberg: He'll 'take the fight directly to Trump'". The Hill. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  18. ^ https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/tim-walz-visits-southern-california-for-first-time-as-kamala-harris-running-mate/3487559/

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