EAGLES - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
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 The Candle And She Showed Me The Way
There Were Voices Down The Corridor
I Thought I Heard Them Say
Welcome To The Hotel California
Such A Lovely Place (Such A Lovely Place)
Such A Lovely Face
Plenty Of Room At The Hotel California
Any Time Of Year (Any Time Of Year)
You Can Find It Here
Her Mind Is Tiffany Twisted, She Got The Mercedes Bends
She Got A Lot Of Pretty, Pretty Boys She Calls Friends
Hey 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 Nineteen Sixty Nine"
And Still Those Voices Are Calling From Far Away
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
They Livin' It Up At The Hotel California
What A Nice Surprise (What A Nice Surprise)
Bring Your Alibis
Mirrors On The Ceiling
The Pink Champagne On Ice
And She Said "We Are All Just Prisonser 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 Night Man
"We Are Programmed To Receive
You Can Check Out Any Time You Like
But You Can Never Leave!"
SONG FACTS
Writer(s): Don Felder, Don Henley, Glenn Frey
Producer(s): Bill Szymczyk
Written By Don Felder, Glenn Frey And Don Henley, This Song Is About Materialism And Excess. California Is Used As The Setting, But It Could Relate To Anywhere In America.
"Hotel California" Won The 1977 Grammy Award For Record Of The Year, But The Eagles Didn't Show Up To Accept It. That's Because Don Henley Didn't Believe In Contests, And The Band Had Work To Do: Timothy B. Schmit Had Just Joined And Was Learning The Repertoire. Schmit Says They Watched The Ceremony On Tv While They Were Rehearsing.
"Hotel California" Was Recorded At Three Different Sessions Before The Eagles Got The Version They Wanted. The Biggest Problem Was Finding The Right Key For Henley's Vocal.
Glenn Frey Compared This Song To An Episode Of The Twilight Zone, Where It Jumps From One Scene To The Next And Doesn't Necessarily Make Sense. He Said The Success Of The Song Comes From The Audience Creating Stories In Their Minds Based On The Images.
Don Felder And Joe Walsh Played Together On The Guitar Solos, Creating The Textured Sound.
All Seven Past And Present Members Of The Eagles Performed "Hotel California" In 1998 When They Were Inducted Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
According To A Reader-Submitted Poll For Guitar World Magazine, The Guitar Solo For This Song Is Ranked #8 Out Of 100.
In Chicago At The Time Of This Song's Popularity Many People Started Calling The Cook County Jail "Hotel California" Because It Is On California Street. The Name Stuck.