Eagles: Hotel California Meaning
Song Released: 1977
Hotel California Lyrics
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the...
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1TOP RATED
anonymous Mar 24th 2006, 16:21 report
This song is about the attactive qualities of worldly things but their ultimate end. the man drives along the highway (his life) and his head grows heavy and his sight grows dim, forcing him to stop for the night (he dies). he sees a pretty woman in the doorway of the hotel but cannot decide if he is in heaven or hell. When the woman invites him in he sees the other people in the hotel. these people are mocking him as he comes in (such a lovely face) and they realize he does not know where he is. He goes to a party in the courtyard and sees people dancing (to remember better times, to forget the present). he askes the captain to bring him his wine, but the captain claims that they have not had that spirit (hopefullness or eagerness) since 1969. when the man starts to realize where he is (hell) he tries desperately to get back to his car (life). the doorman tells him there is nothing to worry about, he can check out at any time, but he can never leave (referring to the fact that, once in hell, a person can realize their mistakes, and repent of their wrong doings, but by the time they realize this, they cannot leave hell.)
Another interpretation I have found interesting is comparing the hotel with alcoholism/drug addiction (they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't till the beast) and trying to overcome the addiction. -
2TOP RATED
anonymous Sep 23rd 2006, 17:22 report
I think the lyric mercedes bends was quite intentional. The subject of the song (in this case california, and all it represents in people's heads) is afflicted. She's "tiffany twisted" and has the "mercedes bends". "the bends" is a condition that divers get when they surface too quickly and the pressure drop allows dissolved gasses in their blood to become gasses again. Severe pain and often death then occur.
"hotel california" is obsessed with material wealth and money. The idea of california is an idealistic draw for artists all over (what with free love and the sixties "age of aquarius and all that), but, as the song says "we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" ... The summer of love is long over, and is now replaced by the avarice, greed, and cynicism of the music industry.
Once you're sucked into the west coast dream "you can check out" via drugs, or whatever "but you can never leave". Whatever youthful idealism you once had is forever gone and sucked up by the machine that is the music business. -
3TOP RATED
anonymous Apr 25th 2006, 21:26 report
I think that this song simply refers to Hell, and a man's account of how he got there and what it was like.
The song starts out by telling how he dies...car wreck, something like that.
The woman who is so tempting is sin...thus she shows the way to Hell.
Trapped souls and demons welcome the man in the chorus, describing how it seems like a good place from the outside...
"Her mind is twisted" refers to the temptation of sin and the devil. (Remember Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser and Elizabeth Hurley?) "She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys..." Those would be people destined for Hell but not there yet.
Dancing in the courtyard refers to the lost souls remembering (or trying to forget) their time on earth and how they squandered their life by ending up in Hell. When the man calls for wine, he may be going through the same thing...the captain (the devil, a head demon, whatever) says that part of the punishment of Hell is that you can't forget. 1969 is a reference to the number 666, the sign of the beast, rather than the year.
"Mirrors on the ceiling..." is a reference to sins committed here on earth. "We are all just prisoners here of our own device" refers to how humans get to Hell...by their own sins.
At this point, the song get weird. The people in Hell prepare for the "feast", which means that they are going to try to overthrow him (Satan, the beast, their keeper, etc) but they can't kill the Beast...This is describing how the Beast must die not by human efforts but by God.
At this point, seeing all this, the man wants to leave and go back to earth because he finally realizes where he is. However, friends, you can't leave hell. "We are programmed to receive" is indeed one of the coolest lines of this song. "You can check out any time you like" You can die anytime, but you can "never leave" Hell.
This just makes sense! Way more than a mental hospital or a drug trip or describing the music business. It is the description of Hell from a dead man's point of view. -
anonymous May 8th, 02:19 report
yeah yeah, we all know about HC, but I had to weigh in about the ignorance of comments that Desperado is about drugs as well lol; it is about a single man who has been riding fences, probably jumping from men to women since all of us are bisexual anyway, and it is simply an urge to settle down with a woman for love and not money (the queen of hearts, not the queen of diamonds!)
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anonymous Feb 10th, 22:58 report
It's about ending up at Camarillo State Mental Hospital just north of Malibu/ Los Angeles..."you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave"
Simply interpretation. Someone spent a stint there so I was told. Hum hum -
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Rlove1 Jan 26th, 17:02 report
Hotel California interpreted as a euphemism for the space one enters when they take LSD
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
When you go you go alone and you have heard lots of words about how cool the the experience is
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
The Marijuana you and the others you are with are smoking while waiting for the effects.
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
The first flashes of the effects
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
Something weird is happening
I had to stop for the night
The mind can no longer see where it is going
There she stood in the doorway;
The first images beaconing you to enter the experience of LSD. Music (She -The Muse) is probably influencing one altered state of mind
I heard the mission bell
church bell -The LSD experience is very spiritual in nature
all great music is about love or the tragedy that occurs when it is absent (religious context LSD feels like it embodies the real intent of christian church dogma)
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"
we have been told taking drugs is bad and the intrigue feels like it could be a delusion but the wondrous images and feeling of love seem as if we are entering heaven
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
It is very hard to organize one thoughts during the onset but eventually a coherent stream of thought begins to coalesce
she (the muse) music is the best guide in the LSD experience
There were voices down the corridor,
Something begins to catch ones attention. seems there is a form of information reflected onto the mind from the visions
I thought I heard them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
the visions will have you in awe and will reflect LOVE and good feelings
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
there seems to be no limits to one's expanded mind and it's perception of reality.
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here
This space is always here we just are not aware of it
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends.
The visions are like patterns on a tiffany lamp. following the pattern of
the Muse in the poetry of Rock and roll lyrics is like riding in plush vehicle driving you deep into your mind.
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
Rock Stars who serve the muse.
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Rock and Roll show
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
Who am I? or "Heads all empty without a care"
So I called up the Captain,
Ones god concept
"Please bring me my wine"
He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine"
When we meet again we will share a new wine (sic Bible) (morning glory wine)
Timothy Leary stated at about this time that alcohol is the anti-psychedelic and recommended not mixing them
And still those voices are calling from far away,
It is truly the feeling of entering a far away world and there seems to be a dis-embodied voices in ones mind
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
The visions will have you in awe most of the time and are leading to pleasing visions of LOVE
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
LSD allows your mind to be released, feeling none of the restraints experienced in the normal state of mind.
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
One discovers that all you need is LOVE
Bring your alibis
Reasons for not loving and or memories of justifications for when one was unkind to another. self judgement phase
Mirrors on the ceiling,
Cant run away from yourself
The pink champagne on ice
relax drink it in be at peace for once.
And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"
the limits of your mind are the limits on your idea of yourself and life
And in the master's chambers,
LSDs full effect is being felt" Love is confirmed as the force behind Life
They gathered for the feast
Many experience peace "the food of love" the first time in a universal way
They stab it with their steely knives,
Trying to hate something away, it could be in ones own bad idea of them selves this really causes disruption in one mind when sailing on the sea of love
But they just can't kill the beast.
Being overwhelmed with the task of dealing with ones own guilt.
Can't figure out how to communicate the wonder of love to those who don't under stand
The thought that the experience is all just fantasy and the world and it's people are far from understanding truth and Love and will continue justifying there lives at the cost of another's life.
The waking reality enters that the world which does not seem very loving and who is it's master?
If Love is everything, what about war and murderous death and the purveyors of it.
Enter the eater of Love (Bad Trip)
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
The devil or a dark force must be real and these thoughts are getting pretty scary..
and one might want the experience to end at this time.
"Relax, " said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! "
The LSD experience is hard to shake from ones memory
And the idea of ones self will likely be changed forever.
Interpretation by Ron Love -
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anonymous Nov 5th 2012, 00:28 report
Easy Breeze
Nevada, all open and free as pen I write words ...
Easy breeze opens my window waiting,
My mother’s gone and I love her today;
Jesse James of Texas moves into your World’
Hot pants leaves worried; and Texans alive smiling and bold!
Easy Breeze all Texan cool honey …;
Are You German and love dove honey?
Hard Texan and Nevadan Man ask;
Near Jesse James last Stance!!
Nevada, all open and free,
Was here in time a Calvary?
Open Texas find my Mother here!!
Easy Breeze all Texan cool honey …;
Are You German and love dove honey?
Easy Breeze all Nevadan; near morning Texas arriving; friends place poker chip as wood burn; day lips!!
And Calvary well munitions and more!!
Easy Breeze and Nevadan Flag is adored by Texas!!
And Jesse Won the Civil American War!!
(By announcing Texas-Star to fight the Independence of Confederation; there!!)!
these lyrics by Mr. Alexander Simon! -
anonymous Oct 22nd 2012, 14:23 report
The Eagles did a good job at not refering to the original songwriter of HOTEL CALIFORNIA, Michael Holland Shepard. This is plagiarism! Pirated music is more common than you might think.
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anonymous Sep 8th 2012, 09:37 report
I just thought it was about a haunted hotel. This guy stops at a hotel and weird stuff happens.
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anonymous Jul 25th 2012, 18:13 report
this is to the top rated interpreter:
everything you have this is exactly as i thought of it, except for the steely knife part. i got this straight out the eagles greatist hits book, and its actually a penile metaphor. straight from glenn/don. i don't remember which one. -
anonymous Jul 3rd 2012, 01:05 report
The one part of the song which Glen Fry mention on THe Johnathon Brandmier Show in Chicago about 3 weeksago,and started with the closinig lyrics are the closing Lyrics when it says Welocme To The Hotel California,(The State Of CAlifornia) where you are always recieive (You are alwaays welocme to come visit or live) remember you can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave"
Glen FRy simply explain it as "Most Bands in those Days live in or where from Clalifornia and why he says you can check out anytime you want you can never leave" he said thst was in refernce to some bands or members leaving Califrinia for New York, New Jersey etc but they realized over time they had to go back to Califrnia so you ca checkout anytime you want but you can never leaving meaning you can leave when you want to but you will ulatimately want to come back to Calirfiina to live or just to visit
The Part of the sogng at the beginig about driving down the Highway and the smell of Cotilas in the air, Cotials ifi speeld it right is the very tip of the plants that grows drugs, th person was high from the chemicals from the tip of the plants
The Guy driving the car at the beginnig was so high as he wasdriving that when he got to the hotel he did not know where he was but he knew he had to get some sleep -
anonymous Jun 23rd 2012, 19:41 report
Actually, personally, I thought it was about drugs.
Here is why...
And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device"
'Means They are stuck with the path they chose.
And in the master's chambers they gathered for the feast
'Uh, maybe that they may have gathered to use the drugs or such.
They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast
'Can't escape drugs! They suck you in and would make you addicted.
Last thing I remember I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
'He was trying to get away from that road of drugs. He's trying to become clean.
"Relax," said the night man, "We are programmed to receive...
You can check out any time you like but you can never leave"
'Means he saying you can never stop once you start.
THANKS FOR READING -
anonymous Jun 16th 2012, 03:44 report
i am babak from iran/ this song is story my life in iran / story more young people in iran/ Relax said the nightman
We are programed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave/// oh i cant. -
anonymous May 8th 2012, 18:07 report
This song is about going to rehab for drugs and at the begining he is halucenating but then it says that you cant ever get over your past battle with the drugs.
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melissa0605 Apr 16th 2012, 20:50 report
You guys should probably actually READ the interview with Don Henley about the meaning of the song. Since he is the one who helped compose, write and sing it. He states that the song is a metaphor for the lifestyle in California during that time. It is about excess, and the all around lifestyle of life in L.A. He also states that it has nothing to do with a drug addiction. He says that while they did experiment with drugs, he never had an addiction, and he hates it when people assume that about the song. He specifically says it is strictly all metaphors for the lifestyle.
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anonymous Mar 9th 2012, 15:31 report
i believe that there is no wrong interpretation. this song was written by them to address many, many issues our society has. they want you to realize what has been going wrong and want you to change it.
Maybe the way you interpret it is what you need to improve on. -
anonymous Mar 6th 2012, 23:27 report
i couldn't believe the over done interpretations of this song. it is so simple
he is in the music business. he is a star, trying to get away from business, agents, consultants, lobbyists, contract, etc. this why he is driving at night. hefeels his hair blowing, after all the crap of the day he escapes from it. he smell the castus. it emphasizes escape the sweetness of escape.
he gets the hotel; she is lying in wait for him to lure him in to the trap.he hears thfaint voices and begins to wonder what this place is. addictions (we are all here prisoners of our delights. the dinnerwhere the breast is served, couldn't be kills. the boys there and himself all have some addiction that thet have yet to overcome. this is what keeps him there. he couldn't kill the beast in of him. and he will be there until.. what happens that frees him which may never come, the concierges they are only programmed to recieve: does he get out or his truly trapped.
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Hotel California lyrics
Hotel California is considered:
Songs with Religious Themes
Songs about Specific Places
Songs with Disputed Meanings
Songs about Satanism/Occult
Songs about Addictions
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