Only the Lonely (The Motels song)

"Only the Lonely" is a song by American new wave band The Motels. It was released in 1982 as the first single from their third studio album All Four One. Propelled by a popular music video, it debuted at number 90 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on April 24, 1982. It would ultimately climb to number 9 on July 17 of that year where it spent four weeks in that position. On the U.S. Cash Box Top 100, it performed slightly better, peaking at number 8 for two weeks. The song is included in the 2006 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories in the fictional power ballad radio station Emotion 98.3.

"Only the Lonely"
Single by The Motels
from the album All Four One
B-side	"Change My Mind"
Released	April 1982
Recorded	1981
Genre	New wave
Length	3:16
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Martha Davis
Producer(s)	Val Garay
The Motels singles chronology
"Mission of Mercy" (1982) "Only the Lonely" (1982) "Take the L" (1982)

Development

The Motels initially recorded darker pieces for their anticipated third studio album. However, with the exception of a reworked "Only the Lonely", the rest of the songs were shelved. The unreleased songs would eventually be featured on the 2011 album Apocalpyso.[1][2]

Lead singer Martha Davis wrote "Only the Lonely" on a guitar that was given to her by her late father—an administrator at the University of California, Berkeley, who found the instrument in Stiles Hall on the campus.[2][3] She explained the song's inspiration in an interview with Beyond Race magazine:[4]

"...It's a song about empty success. It came about while the Motels were experiencing critical acclaim, traveling the world, riding in limos, and yet I was probably as sad as I had ever been. I was in a horrible relationship and had not yet recovered from my parents' death (I doubt one ever does). The contradiction of these two worlds was where 'Only the Lonely' lived... bittersweet."

In a 2019 interview, she contrasted the song's development process with her later hit "Suddenly Last Summer":[5]

"'Those two songs couldn't be more opposite," she said. "With ‘Only the Lonely’ I picked up my guitar and (the tune) was sitting there (as if it wrote itself). I played ‘Only the Lonely’ bada-boom, bada-boom.'"

Music video

The music video for "Only the Lonely" was directed by Australian filmmaker Russell Mulcahy.[3] Martha Davis stars in the vintage-style video as a socialite who is frequenting the bar at a posh hotel. Eventually, a once solitary Davis becomes overwhelmed by the jubilation of an increasingly unstable crowd. The video earned the award "Best Performance in a Music Video" at the American Music Awards.[6]

Track listing

US 7" single

1. "Only the Lonely" – 3:16
2. "Change My Mind" – 3:21

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1982) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 28 Canadian Top Singles 21 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 10 US Billboard Hot 100[9] 9 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[10] 27 US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[11] 10 US Cash Box Top 100[12] 8

Year-end charts Chart (1982) Rank U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 29 U.S. Cash Box[14] 49

References

1. "Gary James' Interview With Martha Davis of the Motels". classicbands.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
2. "Martha Davis Interview 2007". the-motels.info. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
3. ""Shame": The David Fincher-directed music video by the Motels, Martha Davis's L.A.-based band". Retrieved April 29, 2019.
4. "Only the Lonely by The Motels – Songfacts". songfacts.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
5. Tuccio-Koonz, Linda (April 2, 2019). "Martha Davis and The Motels play Daryl's House Club in Pawling, New York". Connecticut Post. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
6. "Last Few Beautiful Days: Interview with Martha Davis of The Motels – Where Music Meets The Soul". Retrieved April 29, 2019.
7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
8. "Charts.nz – The Motels – Only The Lonely". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
9. "The Motels Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
10. "The Motels Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
11. "The Motels Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
12. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending July 31, 1982". Cash Box Magazine. July 31, 1982. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
13. "Top 100 Hits of 1982/Top 100 Songs of 1982". Music Outfitters. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
14. "Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles,". Cash Box. December 31, 1982. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2017.