"Blue Motel Room" was written at the DeSoto Beach Motel in Savannah, Georgi… Read Full Bio ↴"Blue Motel Room" was written at the DeSoto Beach Motel in Savannah, Georgia. The song was inspired by the first breakup of the on-again-off-again relationship between Mitchell and Guerin.[25] The lyrics express Mitchell's hopes of rekindling their relationship, and she tells her love interest to rebuff any other suitors: "Tell those girls that you've got German Measles, honey tell 'em you've got germs."[3]

Blue Motel Room
Joni Mitchell Lyrics

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I've got a blue motel room
With a blue bedspread
I've got the blues inside and outside my head
Will you still love me
When I call you up when I'm down?
Here in Savannah, it's pouring rain
Palm trees in the porch light like slick black cellophane
Will you still love me

When I call you up when I get back to town
I know that you've got all those pretty girls coming on
Hanging on your boom-boom-pachyderm
Will you tell those girls that you've got German Measles
Honey, tell them you've got germs
I hope you'll be thinking of me
Because I'll be thinking of you
While I'm traveling home alone
Tell those girls that you've got Joni
She's coming back home

I've got road maps
From two dozen states
I've got coast to coast just to contemplate
Will you still love me
When I get back to town
It's funny how these old feelings hang around
You think they're gone
No, no
They just go underground
Will you still love me
When I get back to L.A. town
You and me, we're like America and Russia
We're always keeping score
We're always balancing the power
And that can get to be a cold cold war
We're going to have to hold ourselves a peace talk
In some neutral cafe
You lay down your sneaking round the town, honey
And I'll lay down the highway

I've got a blue motel room
With a blue bedspread
I've got the blues inside and outside my head

Will you still love me
When I get back to town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Joni Mitchell's song "Blue Motel Room" are a reflection of a tumultuous relationship that the singer is in. She describes being in a blue motel room with a blue bedspread, which is a metaphor for the sadness and melancholy she feels both inside and outside of her head. She asks her partner if they will still love her when she calls them up when she's feeling down, implying that she needs their love and support during difficult times.

The imagery in the song shifts to Savannah, where it's pouring rain and the palm trees glimmer like slick black cellophane in the porch light. Joni wonders if her partner will still be faithful to her, as she knows they have attractive girls coming on to them. She asks them to tell these other girls that they have German Measles or germs so that they don't fall for them. She hopes that her partner will be thinking of her while travelling alone, as she will be thinking of them too.

The song also touches upon the power dynamic in their relationship, comparing it to America and Russia's cold war. Joni implies that they're both keeping score and balancing the power, which can be emotionally exhausting. She ends the song by asking her partner if they will still love her when she gets back to town, emphasizing the uncertainty and fear that she feels about their future together.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got a blue motel room
I am staying in a motel room that is decorated in blue

With a blue bedspread
The bedspread in my room is also blue

I've got the blues inside and outside my head
I am feeling sad and depressed both mentally and physically

Will you still love me When I call you up when I'm down?
I wonder if you'll still love and support me when I'm feeling low and helpless

Here in Savannah, it's pouring rain Palm trees in the porch light like slick black cellophane
It is raining heavily in Savannah, and the palm trees outside are looking slippery and dark under the porch light

Will you still love me When I call you up when I get back to town
When I come back to town, will you still be there for me and show me your love?

I know that you've got all those pretty girls coming on Hanging on your boom-boom-pachyderm Will you tell those girls that you've got German Measles Honey, tell them you've got germs
I am aware of the attractive girls who surround you, but I hope you'll tell them that you're unwell, so they don't come close to you or try to win you over

I hope you'll be thinking of me Because I'll be thinking of you While I'm traveling home alone
I miss you and hope you think of me just as I think of you while I travel alone

Tell those girls that you've got Joni She's coming back home
Let those girls know that I'm your girl and that I'll be back soon

I've got road maps From two dozen states I've got coast to coast just to contemplate
I've collected maps from twenty-four states, and they're giving me plenty to ponder about the country and its vast expanse

Will you still love me When I get back to town
When I return to town, do you think we'll still have a love that will stand the test of time?

It's funny how these old feelings hang around You think they're gone No, no They just go underground
It is amusing how feelings from the past can still affect you; you might think that you have gotten rid of them, but they remain hidden

You and me, we're like America and Russia We're always keeping score We're always balancing the power And that can get to be a cold cold war
Our relationship is like a cold war between America and Russia, with both sides trying to keep track of the power struggle and never wanting to give up

We're going to have to hold ourselves a peace talk In some neutral cafe You lay down your sneaking round the town, honey And I'll lay down the highway
We need to have a conversation and find a middle ground to end this cold struggle. You can stop roaming around town, and I'll stay off the highway.

Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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