James occasionally plays solo shows (often with Carl Broemel on Guitar & Pedal Steel), showcasing "bare-bones" versions of My Morning Jacket songs along with various covers. Notably, James (with Broemel) supported John Prine for several shows in late summer 2006.
State of the Art
Jim James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daylight go
How far will it reach?
Ain't nobody know
And when the dawn breaks
The cradle will fall
And down come baby
Cradle and all
Just as much as the sun
But you signin' on forever
When you ink it in blood
A.E.I.O.U.
E.I.O.U.
A.E.I.O.U.
I, I use my state of the art
Technology
Supposed to make for better living
Are we better human beings?
We've got our wires all crossed
The tubes are all tied
And I'm straining to remember
Just what it means to be alive
A life worth living
Now you can feel it in your chest
Buildin' like little birds
Just building up the nest
And you build it up strong
And you fill it up with love
And you pray for good rain
All from the lord above
A.E.I.O.U.
E.I.O.U.
A.E.I.
I use my state of the art
Technology
Now don't you forget it
It ain't using me
'Cause when the power's goes out
I got over me
'Cause the power's goin' out
I think the power's goin' out
I mean it, the power's goin' out
I really mean it the powers goin' out
"State of the Art" by Jim James is a song that reflects on the role of technology in our lives. The first stanza begins with the uncertainty of life, as daylight comes and goes, nobody knows how far it will reach. Though we need light to live, the idea that everything is falling apart seems evident in the next line where the cradle will fall and "down will come the baby, cradle and all". This line introduces the idea of how we hold on to technology and its promises, but one day it might fail us all. The next few lines reflect on the significant role of technology in our lives and how it has impacted our existence. The use of the acronym A.E.I.O.U throughout the song, which represents the vowel sounds in language, shows how technology has become an essential part of our communication.
The second stanza reflects on how technology is changing our lives and our humanity. Jim James sings about how technology that was once meant to improve our lives has instead caused crossed wires and confusion. He seems to be disillusioned with the overall effect technology has had on humanity. The line, "And I'm straining to remember just what it means to be alive, a life worth living," reflects on the idea that in our quest to improve our lives with technology, we may have lost sight of what makes life worth living. The final few lines about the power going out indicate that even with the advanced technology we have become dependent on, there is always the possibility that it can fail.
Line by Line Meaning
Daylight come
The day starts
Daylight go
The day ends
How far will it reach?
Asking about the extent of daylight
Ain't nobody know
No one knows the answer
And when the dawn breaks
Referring to the sunrise
The cradle will fall
A reference to the popular nursery rhyme, 'Rock-a-bye Baby'
And down come baby
Baby falls
Cradle and all
Baby falls along with the cradle
Now I know you need the dark
Acknowledging the importance of darkness
Just as much as the sun
As much as the sunlight is needed
But you signin' on forever
Committing forever
When you ink it in blood
When you commit as if in blood
A.E.I.O.U.
A playful reference to the vowels of the alphabet
E.I.O.U.
Continuing the vowel reference
A.E.I.O.U.
Concluding the vowel reference
I, I use my state of the art
Using modern, advanced technology
Technology
Reference to the technological advancements
Supposed to make for better living
Intended to improve our lives
Are we better human beings?
Questioning if technology really made us better humans or not
We've got our wires all crossed
Getting confused with technology
The tubes are all tied
The veins, nerves or pipes in our body are tied or tangled like wires
And I'm straining to remember
Having difficulty remembering
Just what it means to be alive
Asking for the meaning of life
A life worth living
A meaningful life
Now you can feel it in your chest
Feeling something profound within oneself
Buildin' like little birds
Growing like baby birds
Just building up the nest
Building a home
And you build it up strong
Building a strong foundation
And you fill it up with love
Filling life with love
And you pray for good rain
Asking for blessings
All from the lord above
From God
I use my state of the art
Repeating the use of modern technology
Technology
Repeating the reference to technology
Now don't you forget it
Don't forget the advantages and disadvantages of technology
It ain't using me
I am using it
'Cause when the power's goes out
When there is no power supply
I got over me
I can survive without it
'Cause the power's goin' out
Predicting power failure
I think the power's goin' out
Believing in the likelihood of power failure
I mean it, the power's goin' out
Insisting on the likelihood of power failure
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Written by: James Edward Olliges Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@merlingeikie
LYRICS:
Daylight come
Daylight go
How far will it reach
Ain't nobody know
And when the dawn breaks
The cradle will fall
And down will come baby
Cradle and all
Now I know you need the dark
Just as much as the sun
But you're signing on forever
When you ink it in blood
A.E.I.O.U.E.I.O.U.A.E.I.O.U.I.
I used my state of the art
Technology
Supposed to make for better living
But are we better human beings
We've got our wires all crossed
Our tubes are all tied
And I'm straining to remember
Just what it means to be alive
A life worth living
Now you can feel it in your chest
Building like little birds
Just building up the nest
And you build it up strong
And you fill it up with love
And you pray for good rain
All from the lord above
A.E.I.O.U.E.I.O.U.A.E.I.
I used my state of the art
Technology
Now don't you forget it
It ain't using me
Cause when the power goes out
I got over me
Cause the powers going out
I mean the powers going out
I mean it the powers going out
I really mean it the powers going out
@nevenvrankovic5142
Thank you True detective for discovering this gem for me.
@davidadams2395
I was excited to see them use this song. I've love Jim since My Morning Jacket.
@melaniejarrett2953
Me 2!
@bralva
x2
@mikejunge5797
this Case is solved - evidenceless
@geethanjalirajkumar2917
Me tooo
@marialewis6432
Amazing how so many of us came looking for this song after the same shared TV shows: The Accountant, Blacklist, Suits and now True Detective. Love it 😍❤
@lacuestana
Before...The Leftovers ;)
@chariseh9524
Watching the Accountant now 😊
@Leah-oj7iu
the 100 too