Somewhere thereâs a guitar lying broken in a river.
Oh, the songs that it once played could break your heart,
but tonight on country radio theyâre playing hip-hop music.
Sad, but thatâs the state of the art.
CHORUS:
If Hank Williams walked into a Fort Worth bar,
got up on stage and sang âYour Cheatinâ Heartâ,
would you just keep talking, or would you stop and listen,
and appreciate the state of the art?
It used to be that songs were made of heart and soul and music,
but this year you wonât find them on the charts.
You know, someone decided to dispose of all that useless beauty.
Sad, but thatâs the state of the art.
REPEAT CHORUS
If Waylon Jennings walked into a Houston beer joint,
got up on stage and sang âMacArthur Parkâ,
would you just yell âFreebirdâ, or would you stop and listen,
and appreciate the state of the art?