What is the song hotel california about, metaphorically, plot etc.?

Answer 1

The state of California. Once your there you'll never leave. Even though you'll be thrown into the fast life of drugs, hookers and the criminal race.

Answer 2

It refers to the the drug offenders prison in California called Norco which was once actually a resort hotel before the state took it over and you doubt my answer find a picture of the norco facility and compare it to the album cover

Answer 3

Thanx to wikipedia.org hotel california song


"Hotel California" was the title song from Eagles' album of the same name, and was released as a single in early 1977. It is one of the best-known songs of the Album Oriented Rock era.

The lyrics of the song describe the title establishment, a hotel where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave". On the surface, the song is a tale of a weary traveler who becomes trapped in a nightmarish hotel that at first appeared tempting; as a metaphor the song may be commenting on drug addiction or simply the decadent lifestyle the hugely successful band had been caught up in. Another theory is that the song is about a mental hospital. The expression "check out" is also a euphemism for dying.

The original version of the song is performed in slow rock style, opening with a long, repeated electric guitar motif. During the verses, guitar and bass provide melodic counterpoint to the vocal. The end section of the song consists of a series of guitar solos building to a multi-layered variation on the opening theme with multiple guitars in chorus. The song is also well known for its guitar solos, which are performed by both Joe Walsh and Don Felder.

Writing credits for the song are shared by the group's three main songwriters: Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Don Felder.

"Hotel California" won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1978.

It is rated by many polls to be one of the greatest songs of all time: Rolling Stone magazine, for example, states it is the forty-ninth greatest song of all time.[1]

As one of the group's most popular and well-known songs, "Hotel California" has been a concert staple for the band since its release; performances of the song appear on the Eagles' 1980 live album and, in an acoustic version, on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion concert CD and video release.

A few cover versions of "Hotel California" have been released, notably by flamenco band the Gipsy Kings. In 2004, it was recorded by American Idol reject William Hung. Australian band The Cat Empire recorded a version of the song in French (L'Hotel Californie), for Triple J's Like A Version segment and subsequent CD compilation. Marc Anthony has often sung the song live. Brixton (England) based band Alabama3 also covered the song on their 2000 album "la peste".

The song may have been influenced by the 1969 Jethro Tull song "We Used to Know", from the album Stand Up. The chord progressions are nearly identical, and the bands toured together prior to the release of the song. While recording in Miami, Don Felder had to phone home to California to have his maid send him a copy of the demo in order to reproduce the introduction and end solos, which may have acounted for the words "copyright in dispute" in the liner notes and the use of compulsory license, as noted by the EU copyright designation. Additionally, fans have noticed thematic similarities with Don Henley's solo single "Sunset Grill".

The song is an allegory for drug addiction and destructive decadence and other aspects of the 70's rock scene.

Answer 4

it is a metaphor for the west coast music industry and its effect on the talented but unworldy musicians who find themselves ensnared in its glittering web.

Answer 5

it has something to do with drugs, with insanity, and stuck in a dead end life, unable to escape it.

Answer 6

Going on a "trip".

Answer 7

drug rehab