 "Murder on Music Row" is a lament and criticism of the ongoing trend of country pop crossover acts and pop influences on country music, a trend that has pushed traditional and neotraditional country music (and those who perform it) to the periphery.The lyrics metaphorically compare the pop trend to "an awful murder down on Music Row", and lament that "The steel guitar no longer cries and you can't hear fiddles play / But drums and rock and roll guitars are mixed up in your face.