Somewhere there's a guitar lying broken in a river.
Oh, the songs that it once played could break your heart,
But tonight on country radio they're playing hip-hop music.
Sad, but that's the state of the art.

If Hank Williams walked into a Fort Worth bar,
Got up on stage and sang "Your Cheatin' Heart",
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 won't find them on the charts.
You know, someone decided to dispose of all that useless beauty.
Sad, but that's the state of the art.

If Hank Williams walked into a Fort Worth bar,
Got up on stage and sang "Your Cheatin' Heart",
Would you just keep talking, or would you stop and listen,
And appreciate the state of the art?

If Waylon Jennings walked into a Houston beer joint,
Got up on stage and sang "MacArthur Park",
Would you just yell "Freebird", or would you stop and listen,
And appreciate the state of the art?