Small Town

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title: "Small Town" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1985-singles", "1985-songs", "jackson-county,-indiana", "john-mellencamp-songs", "riva-records-singles", "songs-about-the-united-states", "songs-written-by-john-mellencamp", "song-recordings-produced-by-don-gehman"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Town" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	Small Town
cover	JCM - Small Town.jpg
type	single
artist	John Cougar Mellencamp
album	Scarecrow
B-side	"Small Town" (acoustic version)
released	November 2, 1985
recorded	April 17, 1985
studio	Belmont Mall Studio (Belmont, Indiana)
genre
length	3:42
label	Riva Records
writer	John Mellencamp
producer
prev_title	Lonely Ol' Night
prev_year	1985
next_title	R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
next_year	1986
::

| name = Small Town | cover = JCM - Small Town.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = John Cougar Mellencamp | album = Scarecrow | B-side = "Small Town" (acoustic version) | released = November 2, 1985 | recorded = April 17, 1985 | studio = Belmont Mall Studio (Belmont, Indiana) | venue = | genre = | length = 3:42 | label = Riva Records | writer = John Mellencamp | producer = | prev_title = Lonely Ol' Night | prev_year = 1985 | next_title = R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. | next_year = 1986 "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 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.

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?" 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. 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."

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."

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table] | Chart (1985–1986) | Peak position | |---|---| | Australia (Australian Music Report) | 80 | | Canada (RPM) | 13 | | United Kingdom (Top 100) | 53 | | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 | | U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks | 2 | | U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 13 | | New Zealand (Top 50) | 40 | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table]

Chart (1986)	Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)	72
::

In popular culture

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".

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.

References

References

1. Marsh, Dave. (1989). "The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made". [[Plume (publisher).
2. {{AllMusic
3. Olson, Emily. (2023-07-20). "How Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' became a political controversy". NPR.
4. Zollo, Paul. (January 1, 2005). "John Mellencamp Interview". American Songwriter.
5. Myers, Marc. (22 June 2016). "Born in a 'Small Town': How John Mellencamp Wrote the Song". [[News Corp (2013–present).
6. . (23 December 2013). ["John Mellencamp: My Life in 15 Songs"](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/john-mellencamp-my-life-in-15-songs-20131223/small-town-0741366).
7. (November 2, 1985). "Single Releases".
8. Kent, David. (1993). "[[Kent Music Report". Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.
9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada".
10. [https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/Say%20La%20La Official Charts Company]
11. ''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990'' - {{ISBN. 0-89820-089-X
12. Whitburn, Joel. (1993). "Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993". Record Research.
13. [https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=John+Cougar+Mellencamp&titel=R%2EO%2EC%2EK%2E+In+The+U%2ES%2EA%2E&cat=s Charts.nz]
14. (December 27, 1986). "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles".
15. (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp supports Mike Bloomberg in ad about 'Small Town' America". Indianapolis Star.
16. (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp Endorses Mike Bloomberg For President With New 'Small Town' Ad".
17. (5 February 2020). "John Mellencamp cuts ad for Bloomberg: He'll 'take the fight directly to Trump'". The Hill.
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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