It tightened its grasp on the band, the music industry and the country at large. With Hotel California , the Eagles sought to capture the excesses and self-destructive behavior that had become status quo in the rock world. It was a scene they were uniquely qualified to address. Their efforts would create a song cycle that succeeded on nearly every level. The rich lyrics — both introspective and allegorical — had fans pondering their true meaning for decades to come. Was Hotel California about a mental institution?

Navigation menu

We need you!
The hit tune was a billboard chart-topper; it sold over 16 million copies in the U. In , the song won a Grammy award for Record of the Year. Glenn Frey was the mastermind behind the song's lyrics. While there have been many theories that contemplate what the song represents, the Eagles' band members have revealed in multiple interviews that the true meaning behind "Hotel California" is a commentary on the hedonism and self-indulgence of America.
Accessibility links
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 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 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. Submit Corrections. Thanks to Tammy Vogelgesang, Douglas for correcting these lyrics. Eagles decided to make this song a single though its length and format were completely unlike the radio-friendly singles those days: the song is more than six minutes long, it's hard to dance to it, it has a long introduction and a long guitar solo. It's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about. The word "colitas" means "little buds" or "little tails" in Spanish. Lyrics licensed by.
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 Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys 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 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 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 night man, "We are programmed to receive. You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave! Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Eagles - Hotel California Lyrics Eagles.