Hotel Song
Josh Ritter Lyrics


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Sunday night, its supper time, the hotel?s full and all is fine.
You can see that No Vacancy sign from the window of room 39
Monday morning at half past eight, everybody's gone, they left no trace.
I sit alone as the day grows late, wait to see your friendly face

Why you chose my hotel I'm not real qualified to tell,
It's just your face I remember well, when you asked if I had a room to sell
Maybe you liked just what you saw,
The cable TV and the indoor spa or maybe it was the low low price? twenty-seven bucks a night

Say the highway is for lovers, but he ain?t no friend of mine,
Because every time I find my heart, I lose it to that long yellow line

You checked in, I checked you out, you smiled from the corners of your mouth
I turned on the no-vacancy sign as you checked in to room 39
I saw the light from your TV, you were watching channel 23, the night was long, the dark was deep, I kinda cried myself to sleep

Say the highway is for lovers, but he ain?t no friend of mine, because every time I find my heart, I lose it to that long yellow line

Morning broke itself at last, you got your continental breakfast,
Dropped off the key and said goodbye, I think I thought I heard you sigh




I caught a glimpse of your license plate, you were drifting down the interstate
It said you were from Delaware, I said oh it must be gorgeous there

Overall Meaning

The song Hotel Song by Josh Ritter appears to be a bittersweet reflection on the transitory nature of human relationships and the feelings of loneliness and isolation that can accompany living in a hotel or a motel. The song is written in the first person and appears to be sung from the perspective of a hotel or a motel owner, who is reminiscing about a recent guest who has since moved on.


The song begins on a Sunday night with a description of a full hotel. The singer appears content with his situation, and he can even see the "No Vacancy" sign from his window. However, as Monday morning comes around, everybody is gone, and the singer is left alone. He is waiting to see the friendly face of the guest who has recently checked out, and he explains that he doesn't know why the guest chose his hotel, but he remembers the face well.


The second verse reveals that the hotel is located on a highway, and the guest was probably passing through on their way to some other destination. The singer implies that the highway is not his friend, as every time he finds someone to connect with, they inevitably leave him to continue their journey. He further reminisces about the interaction he had with the guest, how he checked them in, and even turned on the "No Vacancy" sign. Still, in the end, he was left alone and crying himself to sleep.


In conclusion, the song appears to be about the transient nature of our lives and how even when we find brief and beautiful moments of connection with others, we must inevitably say goodbye and continue on our way. It's a beautiful song about the human experience of connection and loss.


Line by Line Meaning

Sunday night, its supper time, the hotel?s full and all is fine.
On Sunday night during dinner, the hotel is occupied and everything is in order.


You can see that No Vacancy sign from the window of room 39
Room 39's window shows the No Vacancy sign.


Monday morning at half past eight, everybody's gone, they left no trace.
At 8:30am on Monday, everyone has vacated the hotel without a trace.


I sit alone as the day grows late, wait to see your friendly face
I spend lonely evenings awaiting your kind presence.


Why you chose my hotel I'm not real qualified to tell,
I can't really explain why you picked my hotel.


It's just your face I remember well, when you asked if I had a room to sell
I just recall your face when you asked for an available room.


Maybe you liked just what you saw,
Perhaps you liked what you saw in the hotel.


The cable TV and the indoor spa or maybe it was the low low price? twenty-seven bucks a night
It could've been the affordable price or amenities like cable TV and indoor spa.


Say the highway is for lovers, but he ain?t no friend of mine,
The highway is synonymous with love; but I don't like it because it steals my heart.


Because every time I find my heart, I lose it to that long yellow line
I continue to lose my heart to the road.


You checked in, I checked you out, you smiled from the corners of your mouth
You checked into the hotel while I inspected the check-in process and you smiled slightly.


I turned on the no-vacancy sign as you checked in to room 39
As you entered Room 39, I switched on the No-Vacancy sign.


I saw the light from your TV, you were watching channel 23, the night was long, the dark was deep, I kinda cried myself to sleep
I glimpsed TV light from Room 39 and saw you watched channel 23. With a deep, sad night, I cried myself to sleep.


Morning broke itself at last, you got your continental breakfast,
Morning finally arrived, and you had a continental breakfast.


Dropped off the key and said goodbye, I think I thought I heard you sigh
You returned the key and said goodbye; I almost thought I heard you sigh.


I caught a glimpse of your license plate, you were drifting down the interstate
I saw your license plate as you drove down the interstate.


It said you were from Delaware, I said oh it must be gorgeous there
It showed that you were from Delaware, and I mused that it must be lovely there.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: REGINA SPEKTOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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