Eagles: Hotel California Meaning

Song Released: 1977

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Hotel California Lyrics

On a dark desert highway
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...

1.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 14th 2007, 11:08 report

   
   

   I have it on good authority that "colitas" means a certain part of the female anatomy. It's Mexican slang.

   
   
   
   

2.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 10th 2007, 23:58 report

   
   

   People keep saying all sorts of simple stuff based on one line or another. This haunting song, however, really is about what things were like in Hollywood: Hedonistic, Materialistic, creepy, and hard to get out of.

   
   
   
   

3.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 9th 2007, 12:48 report

   
   

   This song is about heroin addiction, ""You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" drug addiction

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   Oct 22nd 2007, 14:28 report

   
   

   Look...a lot of the interpretations people are throwing in here are right, at least in part. There are allusions to sex, drugs and money. There are religious allusions. There are allusions to spiritual evil to one extent or another, if not outright Satanism. The point is, these are all metaphors wrapped in a loose narrative structure, and they are being used to describe Hollywood. You would think having the Beverly Hills Hotel on the cover, along with songs like "New Kid in Town", "Life in the Fast Lane" and "Victim of Love" would make it pretty clear. It's basically a concept album, and most of the songs are variations on the same theme.

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

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   Sep 24th 2007, 00:23 report

   
   

   The phrase steeley knives refers to Steeley Dan. He mentioned the Eagles in one of his songs so the Eagles returned the favor.

   
   
   
   

6.  

   anonymous

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   Aug 18th 2007, 17:01 report

   
   

   I recently was just sitting here reading all of these interpreatations and I came to a very clear realization about the lyrics, song, and overall meaning. It has to be about drugs. The lyrics saying that you are addicted for life. You can take the anyway you like it but what made it so obvious is the title of the song. "T"he "H"otel "C"alifornia. THC is the compound in marijuana that gives it psycotropic effects. If you approach it thinking about drugs and Marijuana in genral it makes tons of sense. THC people

   
   
   
   

7.  

   anonymous

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   Jul 13th 2007, 13:59 report

   
   

   Your all wrong the song is about hell. I say this because it is very very clear. The dark desert highway is the path of evil and sin. The girl in the door way is the angel of death escorting the sinful soul to hell. The voices in the corridor are the souls of the dead. The lyrics we haven't had that spirit here sine 1969 refers to the blood of christ. And the line in the masters chamber they gathered for the feast. This line means the hotel is actually hell and the master is Satan. Also the line they stab it with there steely knives. It means the souls are trying to escape but there tries are in vain. The line we are prisoners here of our own device means. The person was wicked and sinful so her went to the devil. The ending line you can never leave means once your in hell its all over.

   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Jun 1st 2007, 22:29 report

   
   

   This whole song is spiritual. I am dumb founded about the ignorance displayed here. The amount of scripture that hasn't been read by 90% of people that have replied stuns me. The beast from the bible? all of the worldly things that are attractive that you can't turn back from, even if you do you've done them and you know the pleasures they provide. Whore house, yes, another worldly pleasure. By the way the man who started the demonic church, Anton Lavey is on the album cover, Just so you know.

   
   
   
   

9.  

   Katiesmommy

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   May 29th 2007, 15:40 report

   
   

   I wish we could just get Don Henley and ask him. I'm not interested in anyones 'interpretations' I want to know what it REALLY DOES MEAN!!!!
   
   I have loved the eagles since high school (for me it was 1973)and regrettably, never saw them in concert)
   
   Anyway I'm just as confused as when I signed into this website.

   
   
   
   

10.  

    anonymous

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    May 15th 2007, 19:25 report

    
    

    "Sorry to inform everyone this, but you are all wrong. This song is about a mental hospital in the city of Camarillo (my home town, and that's how I know) in Ventura County. I know this for a fact so don't think I am trying to BS anyone. The mental hospital was abandoned and restructured and has now become CSUCI (California State University of Channel Islands). Read the lyrics again and think of a mental hospital, you'll know what I mean. Classic Rock for LIFE!" (Some idiot)
    
    Oh yeah... I forgot that everyone smokes pot before they go to mental institutions...
    
    "Warm smell of colitas
    Rising up through the air"
    
    And that would not make sense with the rest of the album either... good job.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 25th 2007, 11:14 report

    
    

    All these people are bought into the materialism, the "dance" of pursuing possessions. Some do it to remember back to earlier times in their life. Some go after money to forget about something else more painful in their life.
    -Niniane Wang

    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 19th 2007, 20:18 report

    
    

    I don't know what the hell it means. But I have loved the song for years.

    
    
    
    

13.  

    HendrixHead

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    Apr 8th 2007, 22:21 report

    
    

    I thinks this song is about what stardom can do to a young naive soul it can corrupt you the woman he speaks of in the song could be a refrence to heroin but I really don't care because it's a great song

    
    
    
    

14.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 7th 2007, 04:09 report

    
    

    I found the nature of this song demonic. There are a few clues about why it is. for example
    - "and I call out to the captain, please bring me my wine. "we don't have that spirit here since 1969" Wine = Blood of Jesus.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

15.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 29th 2007, 13:55 report

    
    

    Aw, you're so cute! *pats head* Rolling Stone is the name of one of the most widely read and influential magazines dealing with the rock industry.

    
    
    
    

16.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 4th 2007, 11:00 report

    
    

    what do the rolling stones have to do with a song by the fucking eagles

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

17.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 1st 2007, 06:39 report

    
    

    Hotel California was actually a commentary on the perceived social decline of American in the 1970's, into a more greedy, corrupt, and materialistic culture.
    
    In Rolling Stone's 20th Anniversary issue (1987) Don Henley was quoted:
    "Actually, I was a little disappointed with how the record was taken, because I meant it in a much broader sense than a commentary about California. I was looking at American culture, and when I called that one song "Hotel California, I was simply using California as a microcosm for the rest of America and for the self-indulgence of our entire culture.
    
    It was, to a certain extent, about California, about the excesses out here. But in many instances, as California goes, so goes the nation. Things simply happen out here or in New York first whether it's with drugs or fashion or artistic movements or economic trends and then work their way toward the middle of America. And thats what I was trying to get at."

    
    
    
    

18.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 28th 2007, 02:24 report

    
    

    The thing is, if the song is about excess and materialism which The Eagles have stated the song is about , arent those two things very important fundamental indulgences and beliefs of someone who follows a life of a satanist? The road to ruin is paved in excess. And it's no secret satanism teaches excess is ok and materialism is ok.
    That being said take this for what it's worth as far as the woman in the song
    Henley has stated that any of the derogatory parts about the female in Hotel California are about his former flame Loree Rodkin.
    Which can be read in the latest issue of the magazine Guitar World Acoustic.
    Henley states on page 28 of the article "Such A Lovely Place" by Marc Eliot
    "Her mind is Tiffany twisted,she got the Mercedes bends/She got a lot of pretty boys that she calls friends" that's about her, and I wouldnt be crowing if I were Ms Rodkin. As far as I'm concerned she's the Norma Desmond of her generation"
    The bottom line is whether this song is about an actual hotel that Satanist converted into their center, and the journey of an unsuspected traveler, or a song more personal about what the Eagles went through and saw when they got to L.A, and the excess and lifestyle that California brings, either way the song does infact delve to the belifes and lifestyles of satanism. You have to understand satanism doesn't always deal with worshipping the devil. A satanist will claim there beliefs are all about self worship and indulging in and pleasuring all the senses and the most important thing is yourself and this existance here and now.
    This very belief follows along the lines of what the members of the Eagles claim the song is really about.
    The irony is what they claim the song is about: ( excess, drugs, materialism, indulgence etc) it's ideals represent the very same satanic principles, and then you have the imagery and urban legend and lore of this song that it's really about someone going into a hotel that's run by Satanist.
    Either way both interpretations represent satanism in some way.
    Maybe the joke is on everyone who doesn't see that "Hotel California" is a multi meaning, multi layered song that represents satanism or a literal AND symbolic story telling manner.
    It's about satanism, because when the Eagles came to L.A they saw and fell into that lifestyle of sex, drugs, excess, materialism, all things that a Satanist would say is the utmost importance for enjoying life and living as a true satanist. So the Hotel is actually California, and that experience, but it's also literally about satanism.
    It's as clear as day.
    Henley used imagery in the song so the listener can see and create a hellish experience where someone falls prey to alluring things, wine, riches, bright lights, woman, but then realizes once you go down that path there is no escape, the price to pay is being your soul.
    You choose that path and even the best people with good intentions sumcumb to there desires. Others live for those desires.
    Henley wrote a clever song about the princibles of Satanism that were prevalent when they arrived in California ie; the oppoutunity, the fame and fortune they got, and the temptations it brought, but wrapped it up Twilight Zone type story/ song lyrics that actually doesn't compromise the true meaning of the song,(satanism) but rather reinforce it.
    This all being said, it doesn't necessarily paint a good or positive picture of satanism, but rather a realistic one.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

19.  

    rfm53247

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    Feb 25th 2007, 07:01 report

    
    

    This song is about alcoholics ! fact

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

20.  

    swestvballplyr27

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    Jan 4th 2007, 23:04 report

    
    

    i think it's about an addiction, could be to a special lady, or drugs, or whatever people feel addictions towards. The point of the matter is that the addiction is bitter sweet and he can't escape it