State of the Art
Gotye Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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)

Overall Meaning

In "State of the Art," Gotye explores the idea of technology and its influence on music production and entertainment in general. The song is a commentary on the belief that technology has far surpassed the limits of conventional instruments and performance, allowing homes to become personal concert halls. The lyrics describe an impressive, computer-controlled entertainment system - the Model D 575 - that has replaced the family's TV set. The system has custom flute presets and Harmony-Plus, which allows choosing from three dozen beats. With its genie bass and sixteen foot Diapason, the music fills the entire house, imitating an orchestra in the living room, with the Lowrey's patented Orchestral Symphonizer.


The song is a tale of a time when the family "doesn't need to go out" since they have everything they need with the Model D 575. Gotye shows how people can now enjoy life to the fullest without stepping out of their living rooms. They can invite their neighbors, start the bossa nova beat, and limbo from the living room to the kitchen. The "magic swing piano" is "astounding, and these amazing simulations end up sounding even better than the real thing." The lyrics are an indictment of the way technology has affected peoples' perceptions of music and our enjoyment of it. The song also highlights how technology has become an integral part of our lives, allowing for new and exciting entertainment options.


Line by Line Meaning

When the cotillion arrived
When we had a fancy dance event at home


We threw out the television
The entertainment system is now top-notch, so we don't need TV anymore


I'm Model D 575
The singer system being used is a Model D 575


Has custom flute presets
It comes with pre-set settings for flutes


And Harmony-Plus in addition
There's also an added feature of Harmony-Plus


Now for an arm and a leg
It was expensive


We get three half-dozen beats to choose from
Now there are many beat options to choose from


So now we can pretend
We can simulate having an orchestra in the room


That there's an orchestra in the lounge room
The system is capable of producing the sound of an orchestra


I put the genie bass on
I'm using the genie bass feature


So my left hand can play the choir
I can simulate a choir using one hand


With sixteen foot Diapason
The sound is enhanced with a sixteen-foot Diapason setting


And Lowrey's patented Orchestral Symphonizer
There's also a feature called Lowrey's patented Orchestral Symphonizer


Banjo's great on repeat
The banjo sound is particularly enjoyable


The kids want to play but they'll have to be patient
The kids are excited to try it out, but they'll have to wait their turn


The wife can't help tapping her feet
The wife is enjoying the music so much she can't help but tap along


It's a genuine home entertainment revelation
The entertainment system is truly amazing and transformative


State, state, state, state of the art
The system is referred to as a state of the art technology


(State of the art)


(Hold the phone, it's so)
An expression of disbelief at how good the technology sounds


Listen to the difference!
The difference in sound quality is significant and worth noting


(By use of a computer)
The system is powered by a computer


(Oh my God, it's so)
The quality of the sound is so impressive


(The marriage of music to computers is quite natural)
The combination of music and computer technology is a logical match


(It is time to hear the results)
It's time to appreciate the sound quality


Now we don't want to go out
The entertainment system is so good that we don't want to leave home


When we could spend the night at home with the cotillion
We can have a great time with the entertainment system and our guests at home


Invite the neighbors around
We can invite our neighbors over to enjoy the entertainment system too


Start the boss a nova beat and limbo from the living to the kitchen
We can start a bossa nova beat and dance the limbo from the living room to the kitchen


Enjoy the state of the art
We can enjoy the advanced technology of the entertainment system


The magic swing piano really is astounding
The magic swing piano feature is particularly impressive


Now we can't tell them apart
The simulated sounds of the entertainment system are comparable to the real instruments


But these amazing simulations end up sounding even better than the real thing
The simulation sounds are so good that they end up sounding better than real instruments


(Computer controlled tone color)
The tone color of the sound is controlled by the computer technology




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@shinigamikitsune1541

Lyrics:

When the Cotillion arrived
We threw out the television
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 loungeroom

I put the Genie Bass on
So my left hand can play the choir
With 16ft 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 neighbours around
Start the Bossa 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 colour)
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)



All comments from YouTube:

@sentdex

Love the song and the video to match here.

@Cprkan

dam 8 years ago, xD

@CheeseLoverrrr

@@Cprkan me too man.

@redtoadengineering9226

9 now
@@Cprkan

@AnoNymous-dh2sv

The video puts a deep meaning in the song. It symbolizes how you lose your self into technology or other fancy things. I hear Gotye talking about how it was inspired by the organ but for me it's deeply inspired by "too much power" or "too much shiny".

@pseudogenesis

This song is amazing for testing new headphones. The dynamic range and layering are astounding

@NattyGameDev

that's because the magic swing piano really is astounding.

@ErikMontenegro92

Truly state if the art song

@usuejejej.2451

Hey hi

@ms.biersack393

Sounds great in headphones

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