The meaning behind the Eagles "Hotel California"
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
The meaning behind the Eagles "Hotel California"
In Snopes they now discuss the meaning behind the Eagles song Hotel California.
I had always thought it was about drug abuse.
Here's the story:
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/hotel.htm
I had always thought it was about drug abuse.
Here's the story:
http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/hotel.htm
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by lostatmidnight
it has long been considered a tale about 80's excess, fame, lose of innocense, the soul, all that good stuff since I can remember....
it has long been considered a tale about 80's excess, fame, lose of innocense, the soul, all that good stuff since I can remember....
#8
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Originally posted by GuessWho
How can The Eagles sing about the 80's in 1976????
How can The Eagles sing about the 80's in 1976????
#9
DVD Talk Hero
Either way, it's a damned spooky song.
#10
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I love the song, and never really care about the meaning behind it. The one that introduced me to the song by a chance was really surprised that I would actually like it. He said that the song was harsh enough for a girl like me So I decided not to memorize the lyrics like I always do to my favourite songs. Instead, I just enjoy the music, especially the guitar parts.
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave .." Woooo .. spooky, yeah.
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave .." Woooo .. spooky, yeah.
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Here is what i read a looong time ago about the meaning of that song(Don't ask me where, i can't remember). It says that song is basically about a traveller who wind up in Hotel California which was a Satanic Church. But anyway here are some intepretations of that song.
--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 doorway
--I heard the mission bell
--And I was thinking to myself
--This could be Heaven or this could be Hell
--Then she lit up a candle
--And she showed me the way
--There were voices down the corridor
--I thought I heard them say
First part pretty much as described, he was tired and had to find a place to rest. He found a hotel and was greeted by a lady from the hotel and he described how the hallways was.
--Her mind is Tiffany twisted
--She's got the Mercedes bends
--She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys
--That she calls friends
--How they dance in the courtyard
--Sweet summer sweat
--Some dance to remember
--Some dance to forget
--So I called up the Captain
--Please bring me my wine
--He said
--We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
--And still those voices are calling from far away
--Wake you up in the middle of the night
--Just to hear them say
Second part, basically there was a party going on with lotsa guys.
But here is the interesting bit, the part that says
--So I called up the Captain
--Please bring me my wine
--He said
--We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
It was believe that a famous Satanic Priest in that time (Antone Levy or something like that) bought a hotel to convert it into a satanic church in 1969. And you noticed that when he asked for wine, the respond was, the spirit have not been here since 1969. If i am not mistaken, wine also symbolized the Holy Spirit in the Bible thus it means, since the hotel was bought over, the Holy Spirit has not been welcomed there since 1969.
--Mirrors on the ceiling
--Pink champagne on ice
--And she said
--We are all just prisoners here
--Of our own device
--And in the master's chambers
--They gathered for the feast
--They stab it with their steely knives
--But they just can't kill the beast
--Last thing I remember
--I was running for the door
--I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
--Relax said the nightman
--We are programed to recieve
--You can check out any time you like
--But you can never leave
The last part is basically, they were having some ceremony in the chambers and probably somebody got possessed by a spirit and they were trying to bring it under control(Stab it with the steely knives). So that guy was trying to escape after seeing all that and then was told that he can leave the hotel but never can leave the group.(You know its like those religious groups which stalk you if you decide to leave).
There, thats all. You have every right to your own intepretations but don't flame me for this. Just providing another info about the song.
--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 doorway
--I heard the mission bell
--And I was thinking to myself
--This could be Heaven or this could be Hell
--Then she lit up a candle
--And she showed me the way
--There were voices down the corridor
--I thought I heard them say
First part pretty much as described, he was tired and had to find a place to rest. He found a hotel and was greeted by a lady from the hotel and he described how the hallways was.
--Her mind is Tiffany twisted
--She's got the Mercedes bends
--She's got a lot of pretty, pretty boys
--That she calls friends
--How they dance in the courtyard
--Sweet summer sweat
--Some dance to remember
--Some dance to forget
--So I called up the Captain
--Please bring me my wine
--He said
--We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
--And still those voices are calling from far away
--Wake you up in the middle of the night
--Just to hear them say
Second part, basically there was a party going on with lotsa guys.
But here is the interesting bit, the part that says
--So I called up the Captain
--Please bring me my wine
--He said
--We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
It was believe that a famous Satanic Priest in that time (Antone Levy or something like that) bought a hotel to convert it into a satanic church in 1969. And you noticed that when he asked for wine, the respond was, the spirit have not been here since 1969. If i am not mistaken, wine also symbolized the Holy Spirit in the Bible thus it means, since the hotel was bought over, the Holy Spirit has not been welcomed there since 1969.
--Mirrors on the ceiling
--Pink champagne on ice
--And she said
--We are all just prisoners here
--Of our own device
--And in the master's chambers
--They gathered for the feast
--They stab it with their steely knives
--But they just can't kill the beast
--Last thing I remember
--I was running for the door
--I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
--Relax said the nightman
--We are programed to recieve
--You can check out any time you like
--But you can never leave
The last part is basically, they were having some ceremony in the chambers and probably somebody got possessed by a spirit and they were trying to bring it under control(Stab it with the steely knives). So that guy was trying to escape after seeing all that and then was told that he can leave the hotel but never can leave the group.(You know its like those religious groups which stalk you if you decide to leave).
There, thats all. You have every right to your own intepretations but don't flame me for this. Just providing another info about the song.
Last edited by vhgong; 06-23-03 at 11:06 PM.
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Back in 1991, as I was finishing up college, I was dating this girl who really, really wanted to have an orgasm while listening to Hotel California.
I obliged, of course.
I obliged, of course.
#17
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
I have read interviews with Don Henely and he has stated that it is what you make of it. As far as I know, they have left the meaning up to the fans.
Although there is a kinda of running joke with Steely Dan in the song, Stab it with a Steely knife, that they have talked about. Sort of a responce to Steely Dan mentioning them in one of their songs.
Although there is a kinda of running joke with Steely Dan in the song, Stab it with a Steely knife, that they have talked about. Sort of a responce to Steely Dan mentioning them in one of their songs.