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Hotel California lyrics

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 face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that 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 face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
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 checkout any time you like,
but you can never leave!

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Hotel California meanings

ajax says: Jun 10, 2005, 4:32 PM

It means Welcome to "Love"

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EvSword says: Jun 2, 2006, 9:55 PM

during

in the middle of the night, just to here them say
played backwards
youll here
Satan he heres this, he had me believe.

I belive this songs ABOUT A MAN
eNTERING EITHER TOTAL HAPPINES WITCHED SACARD HIM SO THATS WHY HE FREAKED AT THE END
OR EITHER

HE FOUD OUT SOMETHING HE SHOULDNEVER HAD FOUNDED UT AND NOW HE IS STUCK IN A PLACE WHERE HE IS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND HE CA DO NOTHING ABOUT THAT, HE HAS SO ENTERED HELL A PLACE HE CAN NEVER LEAVE A PLAYS WHERE HE WILL PAY FOR HIS PUNISHMENTS , WHERE HE WILL REEP WHAT HE SOWED....

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KrisHotRod says: Nov 16, 2006, 7:22 PM

If you play the song in a couple of places they have subliminal messages in it. I think this song is about a guy who is so consumed with everything he finds his own paradise but as he starts to live it up he finds that nothing is perfect. Starting with his spirit he asks for and they don't have. so when he finds out this isn't paradise and he's gotten to far into it to just leave. so he is trapped in his decision he's made

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Xavier1014 says: Feb 1, 2007, 8:28 AM

I actually took a course where we took the time to figure this song out. This song, my friends, is about reincarnation. The Hotel California is a place where you go after death. It's almost like a purgatory. In the first verse he sings "Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light" and we was tempted to drive in. (the is "the light" in which you see when you're dying)- and upon arrival, " I was thinking 'this could be heaven or this could be hell'" is self-explanatory. "Then she (could be anyone) lit up a candle and she showed me the way.
There were voices down the corridor" (kinda creepy deathlike, almost haunted place)- "Welcome to the Hotel Cali (puragatory)- Such a lovely place- Plenty of room at the Hotel California (making sense so far..) And alas, "Any time of year- you can find it here". The whole 2nd verse it a metaphor for life and experiences, and "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969" is almost comical, but at this point, I think that was meant to be taken literal which implies resurrection. I mean, .. I could be here all day, but... c'mon. Once you listen to it with this in mind, it'll make more sense & you'll make your own conclusions.

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KIMCAM says: Jun 6, 2007, 10:12 AM

I'M SEARCHING THE WEB TO FIND THE REAL MEANING...I HONESTLY DON'T THINK THEY WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT IT. BUT I DID HEAR FROM A FRIEND WHO READ A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT IT AND SAID THAT A MAN NAMED ANTWONE LAVAY (spell?) WHOM STARTED THE 1ST CHURCH OF SATAN BUILT IT NEXT TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA AND IT WAS ALMOST LIKE A CULT. I ALSO READ ON THE WEB ELSEWHERE THAT IT HAS BEEN SAID THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA USED TO BE RUN BY DEVIL WHORSHIPERS AND CANNIBALS! WHO KNOWS IF I EVENTUALLY FIND SOMETHING I'LL BE BACK!

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SlipKnoTsMaggot333 says: Jun 15, 2007, 5:15 PM

i also read that Anton Szandor LaVey was responsible for having his CHURCH OF SATAN near a supposly "HOTEL CALIFRONIA" but their was also a mental hospital near their. and supposly the figure in the balcoy of the album cover is suppost to be Anton LaVey and the "beast" mentioned in the song is suppost to be a connection with SATAN. and a dead corpse is suppost to be seen in the back but i wont know the truth

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nathansaplayer says: Jul 15, 2007, 10:13 PM

simply put its about Walsh going to rehab

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HotelCalifornia says: Sep 3, 2007, 1:30 PM

(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}
when he sad this i think he died in a car crash not knowing he had died.
(My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night)
as his head grew heavy and my sight grew dim was him leaving his body
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,)

he was being taken to hell his privet hell

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HotelCalifornia says: Sep 3, 2007, 1:31 PM

(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}
when he sad this i think he died in a car crash not knowing he had died.
(My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night)
as his head grew heavy and my sight grew dim was him leaving his body
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,)

he was being taken to hell his privet hell

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premy says: Feb 21, 2008, 10:06 PM

I think it's just a reference to the Californian way of life and society.

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