on N P R this morn : Accidental Racist?--I'm unsure about this title but I am more unsure why folks find this so "controversial." Nothing in this song is shocking, really, & I was raised in the "Southland"--really it's just a poorly written song with a title bent on eliciting a reaction, for better or worse. I've heard Paisley's music & he's usually much better than this. Folks need more & better tolerance, especially in the South, though RACE is an issue everywhere, is not just a southern problem. The genre of music can spread this message more than any other medium in the US. Nothing here should be so shocking though (to anyone)...it is 2013.

Brad Paisley has released a new song and it is a controversial one, to say the least.

Called "Accidental Racist," the song has Paisley wearing a shirt adorned with the Confederate flag and claiming that he is "caught between Southern pride and Southern blame."

"I’m just a white man comin’ to you from the Southland / Tryin’ to understand what it’s like not to be / I’m proud of where I’m from but not everything we’ve done / And it ain’t like you and me can rewrite history," Paisley sings. "Our generation didn’t start this nation / We’re still pickin’ up the pieces, walkin’ on eggshells, fightin’ over yesterday."

"Accidental Racist," which features a verse from LL Cool J, goes on to address Reconstruction and attempts to relate as Paisley croons, "I try to put myself in your shoes and that’s a good place to begin / But it ain’t like I can walk a mile in someone else’s skin."

LL Cool J joins the song to rap, "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 / You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would / Now my chains are gold but I’m still misunderstood."

The song has sparked a strong reaction from listeners, many of whom were shocked by the lyrics. Listen to the song above, and click through below to read some listeners' reactions to "Accidental Racist."