Motel Matches

Motel matches used to be matchbooks with the motel's name on the cover. If you met a girl or a guy in a bar or wherever and saw them use motel matches to light their cigarettes or someone else's, then it would be possible to assume that this person was a frequent "visitor" to that particular motel...or some kind of sex worker.
Elvis Costello had a song on his "Get Happy!!" album in the 1980's with that same title "Motel Matches".

There's a chorus in the song that goes:

"Boys everywhere, fumbling with the catches
I struck lucky with motel matches
Falling for you without a second look
Falling out of your open pocketbook
Giving you away like motel matches"

Implying that he's falling in love with a Hooker

Yeah I thought she was the one. But nope... She was all just motel matches.

I passed on hittin' that.

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