There are several opinions on what the Eagles meant when they wrote Hotel California. With a lot of research I've found that there are two main beliefs: One is that it was about drugs, and two, that it was about the lifestyle of being in the music industry (which would include drugs). They both provide good arguments. Some believe that the line "Then she lit up a candle" does not refer to a literal candle, but she was lighting up meth (or marijuana or whatever else you think they were smoking). And that the lines "they stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" and "you can check out any time you like but you can never leave" talk about how you can never really get over the addiction. Im not sure what I think it means. Please post your sources if you can
2007-02-09 13:39:50 · 8 answers · asked by prejudged_fire 3 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
The song really isn't about anything according to Glenn Frey. His quote from a radio interview a few years back was: “we were listening to a lot of Steely Dan records at the time and were impressed with the way that they could make ‘junk sculpture' lyrics about nothing and make them work into a song.”
The song is a great narrative tale about decadence (pink champagne) and mysticism (a spooky dungeon-like house) and even botany (the smell of colitus!), but it certainly has no realm in fact.
Don Felder brought the rough guitar track to Henley/Frey and asked them if they could do anything with it. This is unusual in that songs by them were typically written the other way around. It serves as an interesting note that further proves that they did some serious ad-libbing and probably got the booze and drugs flowing before they wrote this song.
The album on the whole is all about the southern California lifestyle at that time (Life In The Fast Lane, Last Resort) and shouldn't be looked at in any other way.
2007-02-09 13:52:02 · answer #1 · answered by PLB 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Did you ever see the inside of the cover of that album? The hotel California was the yearly meeting place of the Satanic Church and on the front was the picture of the outside of the hotel, the back showed the lobby of the hotel empty with a janitor sweeping or moping but on the inside of the album it showed the lobby of the hotel full of people with the Eagles standing in front of everyone but if you look up to the upstairs balcony, there is a distorted figure leaning over the railing. If you knew anything about the Satanic Church, it's leader was Anton LeVey who was called the black pope, That figure IS Anton LeVey and it's said that the Eagles were Satanic. That part is questionable but all I have said here is true and the song Hotel California is about the Satanic Church. Some of the quotes from the song are, "some dance to remember some dance to forget", "we haven't had that spirit here sense 1969", "They stab it with their steely knives but they can never kill the beast" and "you can check out any time you like but you can never leave". All of these point to the Satanic Church and they started meeting at the Hotel California in 1969.
2007-02-09 14:01:35 · answer #2 · answered by Kevin A 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You are right! It is about drugs! And since they are musicians, I believe both apply! You've never heard the term "Under the bed with a candle and a crack pipe"? " You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" meaning drugs will take your life before you get over addiction! Very interesting view I think! Tragic as it is!
2007-02-09 13:51:32 · answer #3 · answered by kellyfromcali. 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe it's about a story about a man who dies behind the wheel driving at night.
It starts on a dark dreary highway and Hotel California is really really hell.
You can check out but you can never leave. Check out is a euphemism for dieing. You can't leave because it's hell.
The master is gathering for the feast where the master is Satan of course. You stab them with your steely knives but you just can't kill the beast. The beast of course is the son of Satan of the antichrist spoken of in revelations.
The man asks please bring me my wine. They we haven't had that experience since 1969. That was the year the grape picker went on strike in California and all the grapes died on the vine.
2007-02-09 13:52:05 · answer #4 · answered by aiguyaiguy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's about the rock and roll lifestyle in the California music industry of the 80s. Coke City.
2007-02-09 13:43:39 · answer #5 · answered by artsy5347 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My dad said it's a song about a brothel and the lives of not only the women in the brothel but how it affects the guy who uses the services.
2007-02-09 13:51:35 · answer #6 · answered by It's me 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's mostly the human conflict in conscious actions and subconscious actions ... the price u pay for mistakes ... pay attention to the last part of the song just before the solo ... u will know what i am talking about
2007-02-09 13:53:57 · answer #7 · answered by A-k 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California
^^everything you need to know.. i hope
2007-02-09 13:47:30 · answer #8 · answered by somegirl 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋