Don Henley came up with a lot of the lyrics for that song, and he came up with colitas.". We were about four months overdue on delivering our record per our contract. This woman courteously welcomes th… The band, mostly California outsiders arrived in Los Angeles, along a dark desert highway to be welcomed into the music industry. They killed the Native Americans, and the more West America goes, the more commercial it gets. First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is. As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics). Comments: 6. According to his book, The lyric, "Warm smell of colitas," is often interpreted as sexual slang or a reference to marijuana. First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is. Written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey, and Don Henley of the Eagles, the “Hotel California” lyrics meaning is focused on the excess materialism of California, as … "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" was inspired by a dream where Michael Stipe conjured up images of people with the initials L.B. One of the most enduring and enigmatic rock songs, "Hotel California" tells the story of a man who goes on a mysterious journey to a place where you can check in, but you can never leave. skybluesky 0 skybluesky 0 Nerd Fish; Members; 0 12560 posts; Report post; Posted June 11, 2007. The meaning of Hotel California can be assumed as the record industry. My interpretation is someone who is addicted to drugs or has some sort of cravings for something they know is bad for them but they cant escape it. When we asked Don Felder about the term, he said: "The colitas is a plant that grows in the desert that blooms at night, and it has this kind of pungent, almost funky smell. On the surface, you couldnt get two records more diametrically opposed or could you? The Eagles had been heading in a conventional country-rock direction. "I thought it was really unique and different to anything ever written. Link to post Share on other sites. Hotel California was released as a single in February 1977 and is one of the best-known songs of all time. As the center of the film and music industries, California has a certain mythology, making it the perfect setting for the song. Which was sort of what we were experiencing in Los Angeles at that time. In 1978, the song won a Grammy award for Record of the Year. The band did not show up to accept the award, as Don Henley did not believe in contests. The biggest problem was finding the right key for Henley's vocal. According to the source, The "Hotel California" is actually, L.A. itself. … The Mary J. Blige song "No More Drama" samples the theme to the appropriately dramatic soap opera The Young And The Restless. All Rights Reserved. Share this post. Wasted Time (Reprise) This is a lush, all-strings reprise of the ballad Wasted Time. It's about six and a half minutes.ha ha ha. Type: Song, Lyrics Languages: English, Writers: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Don Felder, ISWCs: T-070.076.790-3, T-900.316.249-0, T-900.316.251-4 Forgot account? In other words, the song is a hard look at the modern hospitality industry, which is plagued by guests who “check out any time [they] like” but then “never leave.” Don Henley in the London, California is seen from the perspective of an outsider here. This won the 1977 Grammy for Record of the Year. Henley also said, "We just locked ourselves in. I was added to the band for my electric guitar, slide-electric ability and to help turn them into more of a rock and roll band. 1. Don Felder came up with the musical idea for this song. Every once in a while it seems like the cosmos part and something great just plops in your lap.". Hotel California was to mainstream US radio what Bohemian Rhapsody was to the UK variety - the ostensibly overlong number that broke the mould and forced programmers to indulge the artists’ creative whims despite the restrictive (three-minute) format. On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen.". So the beginning of the first verse speaks tothe literal experience of seeing the big cities of California(Hollywood and Los Angeles) as you approach them from the nearbydeserts. Its title track, the haunting Hotel California continues to entrance listeners even though during its heyday the song was on the charts for only nineteen weeks and in the number one spot for only one. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on. The Hell Freezes Over version is performed using eight guitars and has a decidedly Spanish sound, with Don Felder‘s flamenco-inspired arrangement and intro. In other words they are slaved to a certain addiction. According to the magazine, Don Henley said that the band was in pursuit of a note perfect song. Although it is well known that Hotel California is actually a metaphor, there are several strange Internet theories and urban legends about the "real" Hotel California. Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys wrote it. They turn the Beach Boys' plea from 1965 ("I wish they all could be California girls") on its head. Not Now. Like the welcome to a hotel that promises much, “Welcome to Hotel California” is “Welcome to the Music Industry. The bands shared the same manager (Irving Azoff) and had a friendly rivalry. In the title track of their hit 1976 album, "Hotel California," the Eagles warn listeners of the two most dangerous things known to man: women and California. This won the 1977 Grammy for Record Of The Year. And we just decided to make it Hotel California. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull believed “Hotel California” sounded suspiciously like one of his songs. Community See All. Hotel California: What were the Eagles thinking ... Hotel California by Eagles - Songfacts. As one of the most well-known songs of the rock era, and the 49th greatest song of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine, chances are youve heard the famous song Hotel California by the Eagles from 1977 unless youve been living under a rock. Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift. 3. send your comment. Also I may have mentioned Ritual Tension's splendid cover of "Hotel California", which I sadly no longer possess, since some twat nicked it many years ago. However, as aforementioned, the Eagles are also talking aboutactual women; in this case symbolized as one woman. Log In. "Hotel California" by the Eagles has inspired more than its fair share of theories and discussion since its release in 1976. 5 people follow this. Only one of the five Eagles’ band members was actually fromthe State of California. The music may have been inspired by the 1969 Jethro Tull song "We Used to Know," from their album, After Don Henley came up with the title, a theme developed for the album. There was no doubt about the song's merits as an album track, but issuing it as a single defied convention. Ill have a go at Chris question. EAGLES - Hotel California (Hybrid-SACD) - Amazon.com Music. I was writing stronger guitar tracks that used electric guitar like ', This followed "New Kid in Town" as the second single released from the album. Origins: The Eagles 1976 album Hotel California has sold more than 16 million copies, spawned a best-record Grammy, and is regarded by numerous rock critics as one of the best albums ever. Welcome to the Hotel California Such a lovely place (such a lovely place) Such a lovely face They're living it up at the Hotel California What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise) Bring your alibis. During the band’s Farewell 1 Tour-Live from Melbourne, the song was performed in a manner closer to the origina… Writing credits for the song are split between Don Felder, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Hotel California Lyrics and Song Meaning Analysis can help us learn how to write song lyrics. Its lyrically vivid descriptions of pink champagne, shimmering lights, dark desert highways, and voices in the night conjure images of a journey that is superficially glamorous, but hides something lurking and insidious. I dont think Elton John nor Queen have ever had a #1, and Im sure they would have had more than ten entries each. MUSICAL INTERLUDE: The lock upon my garden gates a snail, thats what it is. From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes. Joe Walsh came from New Jersey; Randy Meisner from Nebraska; Don Henley was from Texas; Glenn Frey was from Detroit, and Don Felder was from Florida. The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing the lead vocals and concludes with an extended section of electric guitar interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh. California is used as the setting, but it could relate to anywhere in America. The execs come in and we had this playback party for them at the record plant here in Los Angeles. — -- "Hotel California" is arguably the Eagles' most iconic song. Songfacts is where you can learn the stories behind the songs, like what's really going on in "Hotel California" or "Hallelujah." Some include suggestions that it was an old church taken over by devil worshippers, a psychiatric hospital, an inn run by cannibals or Aleister Crowley's mansion in Scotland. All facts provided by Songfacts.com: This is about materialism and excess. : Lester Bangs, Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Leonard Bernstein. Nah, I guess, like most art, it's represents whatever it means to you. Mike Nesmith wrote Linda Ronstadt's first hit, "Different Drum," before he joined The Monkees. Eagles released Hotel California on December 8, 1976, two weeks after the Sex Pistols Anarchy In The UK. The video for Brad Paisley's "Online" is a mini-Seinfeld reunion, featuring Jason Alexander, Estelle Harris, and Patrick Warburton. Songfacts | 20 followers on LinkedIn. Performances of the song appear on the Eagles’ 1980 live album, in an acoustic version on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion concert CD and video release. At the time, punk seemed designed to blow the likes of Eagles and their mellow country-rock vibes clean out the water. Or, to be more precise, California girls. Hotel California was our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles. Don Felder told us: "when we finally finished that whole album, the record company had been pounding on the door trying to get in and get this record, because they wanted to release it. (1) The Hotel California is a real hotel located in (pick one) Baja California on the coastal highway between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz or else near Santa Barbara. The name stuck and now people of all ages and races refer to the jail by this nickname. The year before, Steely Dan included the line "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" on their song ". Thanks Fintan. Tom Li from Hong Kong It could also be a song about Buddhism. He played an intentionally bad version of it on the show. Page Transparency See More. The song and album take you on a trip though the music industry in L.A. in the late sixties early seventies, when agents and studios controlled artists like puppets. In Chicago at the time of this song's popularity many people called the Cook County jail "Hotel California" because it is on California street. Hotel California was the Eagles first album with their new guitarist Joe Walsh, who helped write this song with Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Don Felder and Joe Walsh played together on the guitar solos, creating the textured sound. from Tampa it is about of different things but brings me back to my teen age years. The coil of reincarnation. "Hotel California" is the title track from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. The hit tune was a billboard chart-topper; it sold over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone and was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 19 weeks, peaking at No. Don Felder told Gibson about his contribution to this track. Create New Account. Don Felder told us how some of the other songs fit in: "Once you arrive in LA and you have your first couple of hits, you become the ', Don Felder: "I had just leased this house out on the beach at Malibu, I guess it was around '74 or '75. Community. Barry Manilow didn't write his #1 hit "I Write The Songs." An alternative interpretation of the meaning of the lyrics is that the song is a description of the journey from Need to Love and Marriage to Divorce and ultimately to the impossibility of regaining the life and happiness of the pre-divorce state. About See All. But closer inspection of their fifth studio album the eras leading blockbuster MOR behemoth, along with Fleetwood Macs Rumours revealed a band disillusioned by political and social developments, mov… It's even been suggested that the "Hotel California" is the Playboy Mansion. All seven past and present members of the Eagles performed this in 1998 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Don Henley wrote the lyrics about how people from the Eastern United States ruined the West early on. So that just sort of became a metaphor for the whole world and for everything you know. My husband said he downloaded a 23 minute version of Hotel California before our computer crashed and now we cant find it. Page created - September 3, … See more of Hotel California on Facebook. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Circumference of Spectacular Film Clip - Director, Producer & Writer David E. Talbert – Producers Lyn Sisson-Talbert, John Legend & Mike Jackson Executive Producer Ty Stiklorius – Netflix Choreographer Ashley Wallen And after the song 'Hotel California' played, Henley turned around and said, 'That's going to be our single.'. In Ian Anderson's interview with Songfacts, he makes it clear that he doesn't consider "Hotel California" to be borrowing anything from his song: "It's difficult to find a chord sequence that hasn't been used, and hasn't been the focus of lots of pieces of music. Published January 27, 2020. Glenn Frey: "That record explores the underbelly of success, the darker side of Paradise. 5 people like this. The lyrics for the song came with the album. When Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse's version of "Body and Soul" made the Hot 100, Bennett became at age 85, the oldest living artist to chart. Eagles "Hotel California Tour" Set List | 98.5 WNCX. The Hotel California album is #37 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Albums of all time. I had this acoustic 12-string and I started tinkling around with it, and those Hotel California chords just kind of oozed out. Some listeners thought the line "She's got the Mercedes Bends" was a misspelling of "Mercedes Benz," not realizing the line was a play on words. Hotel California Songfacts Browse all Songplaces. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a Page. Hotel California (1976) How Long (2007) I Can't Tell You Why (1979) I Don't Want To Hear Anymore (2007) I Love To Watch a Woman Dance (2007) I Wish You Peace (1975) In The City (1979) It's Your World Now (2007) James Dean (1974) Journey Of The Sorcerer (1975) King Of Hollywood (1979) Life In The Fast Lane (1976) Long Road Out of Eden (2007) Lyin' Eyes (1975) Midnight Flyer (1974) New … Powered by  - Designed with the Hueman theme, Eagles’ “Peaceful Easy Feeling” Lyrics Meaning. ", When the Eagles got back together in 1994, they recorded a live, acoustic version of this song for an MTV special that was included on their album. >> In a 1987 interview with Rolling Stone, Henley said: "The Last Resort, on Hotel California, … Can anybody tell me if this version came out on an albumn, CD ot 45 and how I can get it. Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism. A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs, Written by Don Felder, Glenn Frey and Don Henley, this song is about materialism and excess. I remember sitting in the living room, with all the doors wide open on a spectacular July day. This song describes a man and woman who had everything but lost it because of their lifestyles. And also … Thats the sort of thing Im interested in - history and milestones of the Top Ten. California is used as the setting, but it could relate to anywhere in America. The lock upon my garden gates a snail, thats what it is. In our. This list is from Trees Lounge, which compiled lists of songs about all 50 states. Beware 'Hotel California' brands - those you can never leave ... Hotel California (2008) - IMDb. See actions taken by the people who manage and post content. Kim From T. Fl. So we finally let the record company in. So with a microcosm of everything else going on around us. This was featured in the first episode of the TV series, Testifying on Russian influence over American affairs before the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 27, 2017, businessman William Browder, Anthony from Stockton On Tees, United Kingdom, Darren from Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom, Chris from Columbus Aka "buckeye Nation", Oh, Scared_of_girls from Melbourne, Australia, Baden Darwin from Town Of Bolinao,philippijnes, Other, More songs about the dangers of materialism, It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Bernie Leadon was the only band member at the time who was from the state (Timothy B. Schmit, who joined in 1977, was also from California). Don Henley: "We were all middle-class kids from the Midwest. Glenn Frey compared this song to an episode of, The line, "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" is a reference to Steely Dan. Many cover versions and parodies of Hotel California have been released. The "girl" in the song is a metaphors and her real meaning is that SHE is the drug, or the addiction and the men she dances with is the other slaves ( or addicts ). Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album. The Eagles spent eight months in the studio polishing take after take after take. Song Meanings and Facts © 2021. or. Eagles lyrics are amazing, but this is one the greatest of all time! This was recorded at three different sessions before the Eagles got the version they wanted. Oh, and the guitar solo’s not bad.