# The name of the Motel 6 song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927 "2004-12-21T04:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/1 "2004-12-21T04:40:47Z")
Hi. I’m Tom Bodett. For years now I’ve been staying at Motel 6 and advertising them on the radio because their jingle is just so darn catchy: > [@](#): > > _(bump bump bump) > **waaaaah** na waaaah naaa **waaaaah** na > **waaaaah** na waaah na waaaaaaah > **waaaaah** na waaah na wah, wah, wah… > wah nah wah-nah-naaaaaah… > (bump bump bump) > **waaaaah** na waaaah naaa **waaaaah** na > **waaaaah** na waaah na waaaaaaah > **waaaaah** na waaah na wah, wah, wah, wah > wah nah wah nah (bump bump bump bump **bump** )._ Actually, I’m not Tom Bodett. I have no idea what the song is called and can’t even find a name for it. It has no lyrics, to my knowledge, because Tom Bodett always deadpans a plug for Motel 6 over the tune. I’m pretty sure there’s a violin and an accordion, and that’s a plucked bass, but I can’t tell if it’s electric or acoustic. Can some amazingly ad-savvy Doper tell me what the song is called and – better yet – where I can get it on CD? ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/2 "2004-12-21T04:43:54Z")
I almost forgot to include the song (with Tom talking over it, unfortunately). There: [I’ve left the light on for ya.](http://www.adbuzz.com/radio_spots/motel6_reunion.mp3)😕 ---
**Author:** ![banjosling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@banjosling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banjosling)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/3 "2019-02-04T07:04:46Z")
Some of that melody can be heard at the end of an arrangement called “Circus Maximus”, by C.C. Samuels, for vintage band. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/4 "2019-02-04T07:21:38Z")
tom bodette used to have a prarie home companion type of radio show set in Alaska and the phrase and music is from it ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/5 "2019-02-05T09:02:39Z")
What was it called? _A Taiga Home Companion_? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/6 "2019-02-05T11:15:12Z")
I don’t know what it’s called, but here’s the tune without any voic over. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/vk-Clog1s6E/maxresdefault.jpg "Motel 6 Theme Song") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk-Clog1s6E) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/7 "2019-02-05T11:33:09Z")
It turns out to be a tune composed for the ads. [From Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_6#Advertising_campaign): \* These ads were created by Dallas advertising agency The Richards Group.[4] They feature a tune composed by Tom Faulkner, performed by him on guitar and Milo Deering on fiddle.\* [Some more info here](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=f8mNyoeb78oC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=%22tom+faulkner%22+%22motel+6%22&source=bl&ots=GbcDmSZptZ&sig=4Fgc3vdVpLGuZfSawjO2IKvAuyc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8nYXUs6BNLi44APckYHQCg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22tom%20faulkner%22%20%22motel%206%22&f=false). I don’t know if it even has a name at all. ETA: Just noticed this is a zombie thread. The OP hasn’t been here since 2014. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2019, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/8 "2019-02-05T11:44:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > It turns out to be a tune composed for the ads. [From Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel_6#Advertising_campaign): > \* > These ads were created by Dallas advertising agency The Richards Group.[4] They feature a tune composed by Tom Faulkner, performed by him on guitar and Milo Deering on fiddle.\* > > [Some more info here](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=f8mNyoeb78oC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=%22tom+faulkner%22+%22motel+6%22&source=bl&ots=GbcDmSZptZ&sig=4Fgc3vdVpLGuZfSawjO2IKvAuyc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8nYXUs6BNLi44APckYHQCg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22tom%20faulkner%22%20%22motel%206%22&f=false). > > I don’t know if it even has a name at all. > > ETA: Just noticed this is a zombie thread. The OP hasn’t been here since 2014. He DID NOT leave the light on for ya.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/9 "2019-02-06T21:58:35Z")
Jeez, I sure hope not. The electric bill would be a _bitch_. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/10 "2019-02-06T22:10:15Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > tom bodette used to have a prarie home companion type of radio show set in Alaska and the phrase and music is from it The show was called _The End of the Road_, but it began running in 1988, while Bodett first uttered the line in a 1986 commercial for Motel 6. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/11 "2019-02-06T22:28:10Z")
If anybody still cares, the highly original and unexpected official title appears to be [_Theme for Motel 6_](https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=faulkner%20thomas&Search%5FCode=NALL&CNT=25&REC=0&RD=0&RC=0&PID=xidk_8EwPjkzgWLmtbXFqquw9h&SEQ=20190206172553&SID=6) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-the-motel-6-song/280927/12 "2019-02-06T22:37:52Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > If anybody still cares, the highly original and unexpected official title appears to be [_Theme for Motel 6_](https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=faulkner%20thomas&Search%5FCode=NALL&CNT=25&REC=0&RD=0&RC=0&PID=xidk_8EwPjkzgWLmtbXFqquw9h&SEQ=20190206172553&SID=6) That’s linking to a different work (_Resilient Kids Boot Camp Game and Manual_) by a different Thomas Faulkner for me. Let see [if this works](https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=4&ti=1,4&Search_Arg=thomas%20faulkner&CNT=25&PID=1MeGFuUHbHWLnS8vquERgwJtM&SEQ=20190206173621&SID=3).