Page type: lyric reference
Artist: John Hiatt
Canonical path: /john-hiatt/perfectly-good-guitar
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
Perfectly Good Guitar
Read Perfectly Good Guitar lyrics by John Hiatt on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Perfectly Good Guitar
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Well, he threw one down form the top of the stairs
Beautiful women were standing everywhere
They all got wet when he smashed that thing
But off in the dark you could hear somebody sing
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
It started back in 1963
His momma wouldn't buy him
That new red harmony
He settled for a sunburn with a crack
But he's still trying to break his momma's back
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
He loved that guitar just like a girlfriend
But ever good thing comes to an end
Now he just sits in his room all day
Whistling every note he used to play
There out to be a law with no bail
Smash a guitar and you go to jail
With no chance for early parole
You don't get out till you get some soul
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
Late at night the end of the road
He wished he still had the old guitar to hold
He'd rock it like a baby in his arms
Never let it come of any harm
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
John Hiatt performs "Perfectly Good Guitar", and this lyric page sits inside the John Hiatt catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Perfectly Good Guitar"?
Yes. The related section below points to 'Til I Get My Lovin' Back and (No More) Dancing In The Street with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by John Hiatt?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through John Hiatt's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Perfectly Good Guitar yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.