“Total Control” by The Motels
Andrew Mccoy
Published Apr 16, 2026
by Amanda London· Published · Updated
On The Motels’ “Total Control”, it definitely reads like the vocalist is trying to get at something sexual here, but this song was dropped in the late 1970s. Or let’s say that if a tune like this came out in the here and now, the lyrics would most likely be overtly sexual. And the reason it is important to point this out is because by the looks of things, the sanitized wording makes what’s being put forth more difficult to understand than if the female vocalist were granted the freedom to say what she has to say forthrightly.
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();But in any event, something has been ascertained by a number of analyst who seems to have a better understanding of what’s going down here. And that is that the singer wishes to exercise “total control” over the addressee who, as implied, would be a sexual interest of hers.
And she doesn’t come off as being super aroused per se. Instead, the gist of the lyrics is like Martha only has eyes for this particular dude, or something like that. And she also seems to be imploring him to take advantage of her willingness while the opportunity is ripe.
Who are The Motels?
The Motels is a band from the mid-1970s that are still around to this day. However, their heyday dates back to around the time they first got together. This outfit has had innumerable members throughout the years, though the most notable musician down with the group would be its lead singer, Martha Davis.
And for the record, at the time this song was dropped she was joined by the musicians mentioned below:
- drummer Brain Glascock
- bassist Michael Goodroe
- guitarist Jeff Jourard
- keyboardist Marty Jourard
“Total Control”
This track is from The Motels first studio, which itself is entitled Motels and was released on 17 September 1979 through Capitol Records.
The aforementioned Martha Davis and Jeff Jourard wrote “Total Control”, with its producer being the late John Carter (1945-2011).
');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();“Total Control” was successful in a couple of countries, faring best in Australia and New Zealand. The Motels, a band from California, wouldn’t really blow up until a couple of years later when they dropped “Only the Lonely” (1982), which is considered to be one of their signature tunes.
This song has been featured on a few TV shows, including a 2019 episode of Mr. Robot.
“The Motels” by The Motels
The Motels released their self-titled album, “The Motels” on the 17th of September, 1979 as their debut studio album.
John Carter, an American songwriter, instrumentalist and music producer was responsible for the production of “The Motels”.
On Mother’s Day of 1979, the band got signed onto Universal Music’s Capitol Records. Soon after appending their signature to a deal with the record label, work on their debut studio album began. After only four months writing and recording, Capitol Records released the album commercially.
The album’s second single, “Total Control” put up an impressive performance globally. In Australia in particular, the single’s success helped catapult the album onto the Kent Music Report chart and earned it a Gold certification from Australia’s ARIA in 1980. “The Motels” also peaked at No. 4 on New Zealand’s RMNZ.
