Gotye – State Of The Art

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Send "State Of The Art" Ringtone to Cell

When the cotillion arrived
We threw out the television
I'm Model D 575
Has custom flute presets
And Harmony-Plus in addition

Now for an arm and a leg
We get three half-dozen beats to choose from
So now we can pretend
That there's an orchestra in the lounge room

I put the genie bass on
So my left hand can play the choir
With sixteen foot Diapason
And Lowrey's patented Orchestral Symphonizer

Banjo's great on repeat
The kids want to play but they'll have to be patient
The wife can't help tapping her feet
It's a genuine home entertainment revelation

State, state, state, state of the art
(State of the art)
(Hold the phone, it's so)
State, state, state, state of the art
(Listen to the difference!)
State, state, state, state of the art
(By use of a computer)
(Oh my God, it's so)
State, state, state, state of the art

Now we don't want to go out
When we could spend the night at home with the cotillion
Invite the neighbors around
Start the boss a nova beat and limbo from the living to the kitchen

Enjoy the state of the art
The magic swing piano really is astounding
Now we can't tell them apart
But these amazing simulations end up sounding even better than the real thing

State, state, state, state of the art
(State of the art)
(Hold the phone, it's so)
State, state, state, state of the art
(Computer controlled tone color)
State, state, state, state of the art
(The marriage of music to computers is quite natural)
(Oh my God, it's so)
State, state, state, state of the art
(It is time to hear the results)

(Hold the phone, it's so)
(Oh my God, it's so)

Send "State Of The Art" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by liquidsky

Track duration: 05:22

"State of the Art" as written by Walter Andre De Backer

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


State Of The Art song meanings
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15 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think that this song is really talking about getting out of touch with reality, completely losing yourself in technology. I think that he is using irony to emphasize the point that everything can be good in moderation, so long as you don't go overboard. His use of entirely simulated sounds really bring this home, saying that simulations CAN sound good, so long as we don't lose touch of "the real thing", and use it in moderation.
    Flag BlckBarberon September 19, 2012   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation:As calculusdork has mentioned, we are missing a huge bit of irony here. The lyrics talk about how State of the Art has become music itself -- almost eclipsing the musician.

    And then to showcase this, Gotye goes ahead to create a song that might have been entirely synthesized.

    Closing line: Incidentally, on the track you just heard, there were no keyboard performances. Just the occasional pressing of buttons.
    Flag lookheremron August 13, 2012   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation:This song was definitely created with an extra helping of postmodern irony.

    I get a feeling that, on one hand, he is lamenting advances in music technology ... all these original instruments (flute, organ, piano, etc.) have been replaced with "amazing simulations" that "end up sounding even better than the real thing". Consider the title, "State of the Art", a term generally used to describe the latest top-of-the-line technology. But it can also refer to the state of music as art, and how that state is affected by the replacement of physical instruments with digital simulations.

    On the other hand, the ENTIRE song (with the exception of the bass track, I think) is created with vinyl samples and digital simulations. Despite the lamentation, he has grown to embrace -- even obsess over -- the use of technology. After all, "the marriage of music to computers is quite natural".

    As a reflection of the "state of the art", this song is truly a great work of art in its own right.
    Flag calculusdorkon July 04, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I would like to say that the chorus portion thats modulated, is not "hold the phone" or anything else.
    He's saying "Homophonic Sound" which is not only because thats what he's saying if you listen closely enough but because a large point being made on the track is that the modern sounds on the cotillion are rivaling that of the true instruments themselves hence the state of the art technology given way to a homophonic sound. it may be hard to pick up that he's saying homophonic sound because its modulated and he has an accent but trust me thats what he says.
    Flag Fotophriekon May 24, 2012   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • +3
    General Comment:Did you hear at the end it says "incidentally on the track you just heard there were no keyboard performances, just the occasional pressing of buttons"

    I really think that sums up the meaning/point of the whole song.
    Flag ericbielleron May 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I think there's deeper meaning in this song--besides it just being about his Cotillion.
    I definitely have the feeling that this song is also poking fun at the obsession and reliance with technology in society today, and the greed to always have the latest and best things.
    Flag remnicon May 10, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I LOVE THIS SONG! All my friends think I'm weird cuz I listen to it so much... but I think they are weird not to like it!
    Flag peejo08on March 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have this album on vinyl & I had to check to see if it was playing at the right speed when this song began. :) I love it.
    Flag talkieson February 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Sorry to add on here ... but when I listen to this song, I think of a musician and his family in the early 1980s who paid "an arm and a leg" for this Cotillion (which Gotye says retailed for $15,000 back in the day). And, to this musician dude, it was a true "home entertainment revelation" to own and play this organ that can make so many cool and crazy sounds ... if you can "pretend there's an orchestra in the loungeroom," you might not want to go out for a while, either! (Think of your new home surround sound system or 70-inch plasma TV or something like that)

    The lyric "Hold the phone" somehow conjures up images of those BRICK cell phones that also cost several thousand dollars in the 1980s.

    I can have this song on repeat all day long!
    Flag stacatalinaon January 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I just love this song - it is so much FUN! And that's how I see this song - it's simply about the wonderment of playing a cool instrument that is capable of playing a bunch of unique sounds. I personally don't derive from the lyrics that synthesizers in and of themselves are contributing to a loss of culture where good old-fashioned instruments are concerned. (To me, the loss of such culture comes, for example, when people see "talent" in the excessive use of Auto-Tune by otherwise crappy "singers"!)

    Here's a cool link where Gotye talks about the Lowrey Cotillion organ, as well as "State of the Art" ...
    drownedinsound.com/in_depth/…
    Flag stacatalinaon January 30, 2012   Link

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