Only the Lonely Lyrics
We walked the loneliest mile
We smiled without any style
We kiss altogether wrong
No intention
We lied about each other's drinks
We lived without each other thinking
What anyone would do
Without me and you
[Chorus]
It's like I told you
Only the lonely can play
[Verse 2]
So hold on, here we go
Hold on to nothin' we know
I feel so lonely way up here
You mention the time we were together
So long ago, well I don't remember
All I know is that it makes me feel good now
[Chorus]
It's like I told you
Only the lonely can play
Only the lonely
Only the lonely can play
[Guitar Solo]
[Saxophone Solo]
[Chorus]
Only the lonely
Only the lonely can play
It's like I told you
Only the lonely can play
Only the lonely
Only the lonely can play
[Instrumental Outro]
About
The singles from The Motels' first two albums had occasional and varied success. It was “Only The Lonely”, the first single from their third release, that was their breakthrough song, becoming the first of two #9 songs in the US and reaching the top 40 in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. At the end of 1982, it was ranked the #29 song of the year in the US.
“Only The Lonely” was inspired by Davis' promising musical career contradicted by her personal sadness at the time. Her performance in the music video for “Only The Lonely” won her an American Music Award.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Martha Davis told Beyond Race magazine:
‘Only the Lonely’ was one of those songs that was sitting on my guitar waiting for me. It literally wrote itself. 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.
- 2.Take The L
- 3.Only the Lonely
- 4.Art Fails
- 6.So L.A.
- 7.Tragic Surf
- 8.Apocalypso
- 10.Forever Mine
