Add heartland rocker John Mellencamp to the headaches suffered this month by Mayor Murphy R. McMillin of embattled Jena, La. Mellencamp has taken on the Jena 6 story in his latest release, a contemporary “Southern Man” for his flatlander fans:

An all-white jury hides the executioner’s face
See how we are, me and you?
Everyone here needs to know their place
Let’s keep this blackbird hidden in the flue.

Oh, oh, oh, Jena
Take your nooses down

The song video references a gamut of race-history chapters of the south, featuring images of freedom marches, Martin Luther King Jr., lynchings and white supremacy placards from the 1960s, all of which McMillin believes unfairly underscore Jena’s reputation as a racist or at least racially charged community.

“I do not want to diminish the impression that the hanging of the nooses has had on good people,” he told AP. “I recognize that what happened is insulting and hurtful.” But, he said, “To put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory.”

Some critics argue Mellencamp’s taking advantage of a hot-button issue, using the publicity simply to promote a new album. Some fans have vowed never to listen or support Mellencamp again.

“The song is not written as an indictment of the people of Jena but, rather, as a condemnation of racism,” said Mellencamp.

Mellencamp’s not the first musician to speak out in support of the Jena 6. Last week, rapper Mos Def circulated a video shout-out that urged students to walk out of classrooms nationwide to protest the harsh attempted-murder charges brought against the six black teens at the center of the controversy. Mellencamp’s getting hate. Mos got mostly love.