What is Hotel California about????
Jess Staton
I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all the
bad things in California. which one or maybe it's neither is it???
jd...@bright.net
Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> wrote:
>I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all the
>bad things in California. which one or maybe it's neither is it???
IT'SW ABOUT THE BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL
verkuilen john v
Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> writes:
>I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all the
>bad things in California. which one or maybe it's neither is it???
How about all? The best songs are written at many different levels, and I think
HC is an example of such a song. For another example, good devotional music
(I don't consider contemp christian good--I'm thinking of more subtle songs
like Richard Thompson's "Beat the Retreat" or some other folk ballads) is often
written as a love song, and could be interpreted as a romantic song. Possibly
the best at this device is the superlative Brazilian poet Vinicus de Moraes,
lyricist of "Garota d'Ipanema," "Corcovado," "Samba em Preludio," "Felicidade,"
etc. "Corcovado" is intentionally ambiguous, as it is about the famous
mountain outside of Rio where the statue of Jesus is; this spot is also a
favorite place for lovers.
--
J. Verkuilen ja...@uiuc.edu
Beer: It's what's for dinner.
JRMALC
In an interview with Don Henely, he mentioned that the true meaning of the
song comes from his views of Southern Californian society in 1976.
Thomas D. Penfield
>Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> writes:
>What is Hotel California about????
>>I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all
the
>>bad things in California. which one or maybe it's neither is it???
>
>How about all? The best songs are written at many different levels,
Indeed. Isn't the album cover by the Eagles a picture of the Camarillo
State Mental Hospital in Camarillo, California?
Tom
Richard Bywater
Jess Staton (bst...@pclink.com) wrote:
: I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all the
I think it's one of those songs that we'll probably never know about.
Just like Stairway to Heaven really..
Cheers.
--
/-----------------------------------------------------------------\
| RICHARD BYWATER - CERTIFICATE IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (STAGE 1) |
| E-mail bywa...@wero.ee.cit.ac.nz |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| STUDYING AT CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HERETAUNGA, NZ |
\-----------------------------------------------------------------/
chris
"You can check out any time you'd like but you can never leave"?
Beats me. I don't like the Eagles anyway ,)
Chris
brian utter
come on guys. it's one of the all-time songs about drug, and
particularly cocaine, addiction.
"warm smell of colitas..." colitas=marijuana buds
"they stab it with their steely knives..." chopping up cola
"...but they just can't kill the beast" beast=the need for cola
"you can check out any time you like but you can never leave" you
can die any time but you're not going to beat the addiction.
i'm no henley fan but i think joe walsh's lead in this song is a
classic.
love ya,
brian
Nicholas Levet
Hi,
In one of my English lesson, we studied this song, after a short brainstorming we
decided that there was no accurate meaning for this song but that looks like a bad
dream (or bad trip maby) or something with voodoo, human sacrifice by stange
sects hidden in a Hotel'cave in California.
If you find something deeper, I would say that it illustrates a sybolic vision of
attraction or seduction that hides a trap or some evil stuff, like the mermaids that
sing to fool the sailmen... (or like scientists with there brochures about "better
life"
Sorry for my approximate English, I did my best as a student (Gee, it's such a good
exercise)..
Take care.
Nico
Berry Kercheval
>>>>> "Jess" == Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> writes:
Jess> I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and
Jess> also all the bad things in California. which one or maybe
Jess> it's neither is it???
It's also about drugs. Hey, it's all of them and none of them. It's
Art -- the artist puts stuff into the song, and you and I take things
out. Some people can take more things out than the artist puts in --
that's OK.
THe writers of the song may have had something in mind when they wrote
it, and that's interesting but not completely relevant. What is more
important is what do YOU get from it. If YOU get "whorehouse" that's
what the song is about -- for you. If I get heaven and hell, that's
what it's about -- for me. Both interpretations are valid. We can
discuss them, and maybe I can see how your interpretation works, and
you can see mine -- that's what's fun about it.
I happen to feel that works of Art with multiple meanings
are better (and I mean "I like them more"). Some people will disagree
with me; that's OK too.
--
Berry Kercheval :: Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
"Having major planets disappear is always a bad sign." - Jim Blinn
jwe...@hom.net
It is about Devil Worship.
Steve Holiman
brian utter (but...@mailhost2.csusm.edu) wrote:
: come on guys. it's one of the all-time songs about drug, and
: particularly cocaine, addiction.
While the song may be about addiction in a way, it's addiction to a
lifestyle - the song is really about the conflict of art and commerce and
the ever-present threat of selling out (a very common subject in song and
poetry). The dream is self-indictment through observation of the
excesses of the friends and colleages at the hotel. The lady of
the song is probably Joni Mitchell or Linda Ronstadt (I've heard
arguments both ways) or perhaps a blending of the two. I tend
to think Mitchell (the part about "a lot of pretty, pretty boys
she calls "friends") but the line about the mission bell might
suggest Ronstadt's mexican heritage. Particularly cutting
is the remark about Crosby (the captain) and CSN (we haven't had that
spirit here since 1969 ...). The beast that can't be killed is their own
greed which perverts their art toward the commercial, or the music
industry which they can't get rid of to get back to the purity of "art
for art's sake". The end is horror and denial - the desperate run for
the door (to find the passage back to the place I was before).
What a nice surprise - bring your alibis. ;^)
____________________________________________________________________________
Steve Holiman / stev...@quick.net | The rogue opinions which just
HACK / Holiman Audio/Computer Kibitzing | escaped do not necessarily reflect
Los Angeles CA (310) 942-0314 voice/fax | my moments of clear perception ...
Aaron
brian utter wrote:
>
> come on guys. it's one of the all-time songs about drug, and
> particularly cocaine, addiction.
>
> "warm smell of colitas..." colitas=marijuana buds
>
> "they stab it with their steely knives..." chopping up cola
>
> "...but they just can't kill the beast" beast=the need for cola
>
> "you can check out any time you like but you can never leave" you
> can die any time but you're not going to beat the addiction.
>
> i'm no henley fan but i think joe walsh's lead in this song is a
> classic.
> brian
Also the initials for The Hotel California tell ya somethin 'bout
^ ^ ^
drugs. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana.
Agreed also ... Joe Walsh's job on THC is a definite classic.
Aaron
Ray Wood
The song came out after "The Shining", which was about a haunted
hotel (albeit in Colorado rather than California). So, like any
good artist, Henley probably was inspired by the haunted hotel theme
as a metaphor for modern society, and went with it.
Now the tough one: What is "mairzy doats" about??
JOSON KEVIN
>Now the tough one: What is "mairzy doats" about??
I believe that's "Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat
ivy. A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?" (Unless you were just kidding.)
Ted Dickinson
>dream (or bad trip maby) or something with voodoo, human sacrifice by stange
>sects hidden in a Hotel'cave in California.
About a year ago I heard an interesting interpretation of this song that had
to do with the growth of Satanic cults in California. Apparently the
Satanists started coming out in 1969, which would explain the line:
"We haven't had that spirit here since 1969...."
That spirit would probably be God in this case.
This also explains, as someone else already mentioned, the line:
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave..."
But that's just one of many possible ways of dissecting this song. :)
_____________________________________________________________
Ted Dickinson
fir...@access.eve.net
http://www.eve.net/~firefox/
rh...@wwdc.com
In <4o07os$j...@dfw-ixnews8.ix.netcom.com>, penf...@ix.netcom.com(Thomas D. Penfield ) writes:
>
>>Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> writes:
>>What is Hotel California about????
>the
>>
>>How about all? The best songs are written at many different levels,
>
>Indeed. Isn't the album cover by the Eagles a picture of the Camarillo
>State Mental Hospital in Camarillo, California?
>Tom
I don't know this for 100% certain but I was told once that the hotel on the
cover is the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills California. I visited Los Angeles
once and caught a quick glimpse of the Beverly Hills Hotel as I was driving by.
(I think it was either on Beverly Hills Blvd or Sunset Blvd.) The hotel I saw in
my glimpse did look like the one on the album cover but that style of
architecture is not uncommon in Southern California so the mental hospital
theory may actually be correct. If you know anyone in that area., maybe you
could get them to take some pictures of the hotel (and mental hospital) and
see how they compare with the album.
The best way to answer your question though would be to e-mail Don Henley
at his record company. I assume they could get a message to him and maybe
he could answer you directly.
Good luck and if you get an answer, maybe you could post it here?
BostonFred
fir...@access.eve.net (Ted Dickinson) writes:
>About a year ago I heard an interesting interpretation of this song that
had
>to do with the growth of Satanic cults in California. Apparently the
>Satanists started coming out in 1969, which would explain the line:
>"We haven't had that spirit here since 1969...."
Maybe Don Henley likes the Mets?
Nah....
Gregg Calcott
> slug...@MCS.COM (Ray Wood) wrote in article
<4o57u9$l...@Mars.mcs.com>...
> The song came out after "The Shining", which was about a haunted
> hotel (albeit in Colorado rather than California). So, like any
> good artist, Henley probably was inspired by the haunted hotel theme
> as a metaphor for modern society, and went with it.
>
> Now the tough one: What is "mairzy doats" about??
>
"Mairzy doats" is all about the eating habits of selected livestock and
game...
Mares eat oats
And does (ie. female deer) eat oats
And little lambs eat ivy
A kid'll (ie. a kid (small goat) will) eat ivy too
Wouldn't you????????
Doesn't -everyone- have the tab for this???
jims
So far I like all the interepetations, good songwriters, poets, witers in
general, make reference to many things in many different ways one of my
favorite lyrists Robert Hunter of the Dead throws in allusion to
historical, literary, and political, people places and things. I am a
young writer and often I allude to many different things and hint towards
different meanings. Everything is subject to the readers' interpetations
They we interpet things is a personal thing everyone thinks a little
differently, Great writers allow people to follow there owe direction,
and to find their own personal meaning, while still keeping there ideas
in tact and hinting to them. Bottom Line: Great lyrics have many levels
and everyone must find there own meaning.
Jesse F. Ernest
That is exactly the type of pseudoinellectual banter that fuels the
travesty of an art world that survives today. What "you" get out of a
piece of art is irrelevant. You may receive personal satisfaction from
taking a certain meaning, but if the artist's true intentions are missed
in their intireity, then the artist has failed at getting his message
across. This is not to say that you should not have your own personnal
meaning for a song or other work of art, but you should realize that THE
TRUE MEANING of a piece of art is what the artist intended when it was
created. That's what makes a good artist: being able to convey a
message through a medium.
As for a guess as to the meaning of Hotel California, a possibility is
that it refers to the phenomenon of the mid 70's when many ex-hippies
moved to California (Southern in particular) and fell into a lifestyle
which kept them from leaving, whether it be because of drugs, or lack of
money or what have you. It's just a thought. And as I said before, it
is no more valid than any other guess until we know for sure. Ok, I'm
done.
Comments? j.er...@m.cc.utah.edu
PS- The only thing worse than songs whose meanings are mis-interpreted
are songs filled with meaningless imagery and a lack of a true meaning or
passion. Take a look around at 99% of today's mainstream music...
that's all you'll find.
The art world needs a revolution in every medium and sense.
Wratchild
IT'S ABOUT A HOTEL IN CALIFORNIA!!!!! WOW! SO CLEVER!
***********************************************************
* "(...) only the Good die young, *
* all the Evil seems to live forever(...)" *
* *
* Wratchild. *
* *
* Portugal. *
***********************************************************
verkuilen john v
"Jesse F. Ernest" <j.er...@m.cc.utah.edu> writes:
>That is exactly the type of pseudoinellectual banter that fuels the
>travesty of an art world that survives today. What "you" get out of a
>piece of art is irrelevant.
Why? I'm not arguing that one should buy into only personal interpretivist
notions of esthetics, claiming that it only matters what "you" get, but
arguing that that isn't important too is really missing the point. Art is
about communication, but this shouldn't necessarily be one-way, active
performer impressing his or her "great ideas" on the passive audience.
If you've performed you'd certainly know that audience feedback is important.
If the crowd is dead to your music, the fact that you have "great" things to
say doesn't mean a fig.
>You may receive personal satisfaction from
>taking a certain meaning, but if the artist's true intentions are missed
>in their intireity, then the artist has failed at getting his message
>across.
What if the artist didn't fully understand the meaning of his or her own
work? In many ways I'd have to say that most great artists don't understand
the implications of their work and if they had intended to make a "great
work of art" they wouldn't have been able to do it.
>This is not to say that you should not have your own personnal
>meaning for a song or other work of art, but you should realize that THE
>TRUE MEANING of a piece of art is what the artist intended when it was
>created.
I really have a problem with this. Art doesn't necessarily have a
TRUE meaning. Also, the artist may not understand the significance of
his or her work. I wouldn't want to reject Van Gogh's work even though
he hated it and himself.
>That's what makes a good artist: being able to convey a
>message through a medium.
Here I really have to disagree. A great artist _could_ do that but I
have to include that a great artist could be a person who raises all sorts
of possibilities for others. OK, I guess I don't mean that a great artist
shouldn't be good at conveying a message through the medium, but the
great artist isn't necessarily imposing his or her view of things on the
audience. Rather he or she is making the audience aware of a different
view, and letting them come to further conclusions.
[HC interpretation snipped]
>Comments? j.er...@m.cc.utah.edu
>PS- The only thing worse than songs whose meanings are mis-interpreted
>are songs filled with meaningless imagery and a lack of a true meaning or
>passion. Take a look around at 99% of today's mainstream music...
>that's all you'll find.
I'll buy that. Ear candy has it's place, but it does get old. (This is one
of the reasons I write so few songs; it's only once in a great while that
something becomes important enough for me to write. But I respect those
people who can write a lot. Lyrics aren't everything, though.)
Thomas J. Vernier
There was an interview with either henley or frey, and the comment was
made that the "stab it with their steely knives" line was a reference
and jab at Steely Dan. Apparently Steely Dan took a cut at their
"competitors' at the time, and one of the SD band members had a
girlfriend that was an Eagles fan. a comment was made in a song, and
henley and frey retaliated in Hotel California (beast = eagles?). kind
of interesting interview.
penf...@ix.netcom.com(Thomas D. Penfield ) wrote:
>>Jess Staton <bst...@pclink.com> writes:
>>What is Hotel California about????
>>>I have heard it is about a whore house, heaven and hell, and also all
>the
Howard Wright (Hman)
>There was an interview with either henley or frey, and the comment was
>
>made that the "stab it with their steely knives" line was a reference
>and jab at Steely Dan. Apparently Steely Dan took a cut at their
>"competitors' at the time, and one of the SD band members had a
>girlfriend that was an Eagles fan. a comment was made in a song, and
>henley and frey retaliated in Hotel California (beast = eagles?). kind
>of interesting interview.
I think this is half right - but it wasn't really a 'jab' at Steely Dan,
more a 'return of the compliment'.
The way i heard it was that the Eagles were happy to be name-checked in
a Steely Dan song ('turn up the Eagles the neighbours are listening' -
though the song escapes me for the moment ...). They decided to return
the favour with the 'steely knives' line.
I don't think that either side was 'having a go' at the other.
The Eagles were also influenced by Steely Dan's style of lyrics - I
heard this in a radio interview about Hotel California with Don Henley.
They liked the idea of a 'collage' of phrases and words that didn't
really make immediate sense - maybe didn't even flow in the normal sense
of sentences etc, but gave a definite 'atmosphere'.
Henley said that they were into this idea,(I think he called it 'junk
sculpture') and tried it out on Hotel
california. This might explain why it's difficult to work out what Hotel
California is about - you get a lot of little clues, but it's hard to
put them together to get a unified idea.
Steely dan fans will know that it's very hard to work out what *any*
Steely Dan songs are about - you get hints and moods from certain words
and phrases, but it doesn't really 'add up'.
Howard
>
Trevor Kirby
In article <4o57u9$l...@Mars.mcs.com>, slug...@MCS.COM (Ray Wood) writes:
|> The song came out after "The Shining", which was about a haunted
|> hotel (albeit in Colorado rather than California). So, like any
|> good artist, Henley probably was inspired by the haunted hotel theme
|> as a metaphor for modern society, and went with it.
|>
|> Now the tough one: What is "mairzy doats" about??
The eating habits of various female animals.
Trev
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Look here, what has fish got to do with it? Why bring them up?"
Wilkin did not bother to reply.
Steve Holiman
Howard Wright (Hman) (wrig...@cf.ac.uk) wrote:
: In article <4oihbd$b...@news.cp10.es.xerox.com> tver...@we.xerox.com
: (Thomas J. Vernier) writes:
: Howard
: >
--
Steve Holiman
I tried to send this before, but I was having trouble with my ISP and
since no one has responded to it, I must assume that it didn't make it.
What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce, the question
of "selling out" that every professional artist is confronted with. Are
you still willing to take chances with your music, to write it the way it
should be written, or do monetary concerns get in the way, the fear that
it may not sell; and the company is _always_ there to remind you. Music
and literature are full of works on this subject; Leonard Cohen is
particularly good at this kind of self-abuse.
The dream is set in the industry nexus of LA LA land (the desert imagery
of the first verse), and the story is told by observation of fellow
artists and their actions. The lady in the doorway could be Joni
Mitchell or Linda Ronstadt, I've heard arguments both ways. I tend to
think it's Joni (the line about the "lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls
'friends'") but the line about the mission bell could be a reference to
Linda's mexican ancestry. Now her "corrupted" lifestyle is described
(Tiffany-twisted). He finds this a little disturbing, so in desperation
to find that someone here is still normal he looks for CSN - "I called up
the captain (David Crosby), 'please bring me my wine (some of their music
to calm his fears)'", BUT "He said 'we haven't had that _spirit_ here
since 1969'", i.e., when they first started together. [And I can tell
you from interviews at the time that Crosby got it and didn't like it one
bit ... whether he has mellowed on this over time, I don't know; in the
context of the song it's not really specifically insulting to them,
they're just being used as a specific name for a general malaise. The song
is in the end self-indictment.] "And still THOSE VOICES (!) are calling
from far away" implying that all their music since then just reminds you
that they've lost their direction and can't seem to get the magic back
because they're "renting a room at the Hotel California." The central
idea through all of this is that everyone is afraid to bite the hand that
feeds them, the "industry". "We are all just prisoners here, of our own
device." "In their MASTER'S chambers they gather for the feast;" but no
matter what they do they "just can't kill the beast," their own
'addiction', if you will. In the end, realizing that this is all
happening to him too, he starts trying to get out, to "find the passage
back to the place I was before," only to be told that he "can check out
any time (he likes), but (he) can never leave." A perfect point to wake
up from a nightmare, kind of like falling and waking up before hitting
the ground.
Bring your alibis. ;^)
Michael Rath
In message <4pg9ad$h...@news.quick.net> - stev...@shell.quick.net (Steve
Holiman) writes:
:>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
:>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
Huh?
That's pretty good, and it certainly demonstrates the power of art to mean
different things to different people.
I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of Steven King's
book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
Whether the book itself was an allegory of something deeper, I wouldn't know.
I simply enjoyed it as a thriller.
Michael
David Poole
It is most definitely about a lunatic asylum that was nicknamed Hotel
California. Its that simple.
Michael Rath
From: grov...@mindlink.bc.ca (Michael Rath)
Subject: Re: DIS : What is Hotel California about??? (the steely dan
In message <4pg9ad$h...@news.quick.net> - stev...@shell.quick.net (Steve
Holiman) writes:
:>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
:>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
Huh?
That's pretty good, and it certainly demonstrates the power of art to mean
different things to different people.
I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of Steven King's
book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
Whether the book itself was an allegory of something deeper, I wouldn't know.
I simply enjoyed it as a thriller.
Michael
--
|Fidonet: Michael Rath 2:254/211.6
|Internet: Michae...@craybbs.co.uk
|
| From The Cray BBS <--> Inet Gate 0181 300 5971 & 0181 302 7250.
Steve Holiman
Michael Rath (Michae...@craybbs.co.uk) wrote:
: From: grov...@mindlink.bc.ca (Michael Rath)
: Subject: Re: DIS : What is Hotel California about??? (the steely dan
: In message <4pg9ad$h...@news.quick.net> - stev...@shell.quick.net (Steve
: Holiman) writes:
: :>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
: :>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
: Huh?
: That's pretty good, and it certainly demonstrates the power of art to mean
: different things to different people.
: I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of Steven King's
: book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
: visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
: prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
Well, if you look at the song in relation to the others on what is, after
all, a sort of loose "concept" album, things become clearer. Most of the
songs say something either directly or indirectly about the life of a
musician in LA; i.e., New Kid in Town (great expectations, everybody's
watchin' you / even your old friends treat you like you're somethin'
new), or Life in the Fast Lane for the crash and burn victims. Though I
suppose the book (or movie) could have inspired the milieu for the song,
that's not really what it's about, certainly not when you examine it in
context instead of standing alone. Use _all_ the clues.
mikael johansson
Michael Rath (grov...@mindlink.bc.ca) wrote:
: In message <4pg9ad$h...@news.quick.net> - stev...@shell.quick.net (Steve
: Holiman) writes:
: :>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
: :>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
: Huh?
: That's pretty good, and it certainly demonstrates the power of art to mean
: different things to different people.
: I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of Steven King's
: book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
: visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
: prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
: Whether the book itself was an allegory of something deeper, I wouldn't know.
: I simply enjoyed it as a thriller.
: Michael
Hotel California is a song about Anton LaVey and his "Black House" (A.L.
is said to be the father of the modern Satanism)in S.F. Cal.Get hold of a
picture of A.L. and compare it with the man watching over the hotel lobby
on the cover of the record and you'l know what I mean.
Bye Mike
Frank Pitt
>:>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
>:>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
>I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of Steven King's
>book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
>visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
>prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
And for some reason, whenever I hear the verse with "steely knives"
I think of the scene in William Golding's "Lord of Flies" when
Piggy get's killed and eaten....
Frankie
WOODYMOM
Hotel California is a whorehouse (seriously)
traig foltz
Mindless
Yes.. The song is about Camarillo State Develpoment Center... we
Camarilloians are very uhh.. "proud" of this...
Mindless
Camarillo, CA
--
$$$S$$$$$$S$$$$$$SSsss s ss .
$' s sa $$$ '
$ $S $$ $s$ i n d l e s s
$SSss$$s$$Sss$$$$SSsss s .. ...
Mario Alaniz
David Poole wrote:
>
> Michael Rath wrote:
> >
> > In message <4pg9ad$h...@news.quick.net> - stev...@shell.quick.net (Steve
> >
> > :>What the song is about (and it's really pretty clear if you think about
> > :>this for a minute) is the old conflict of art and commerce...
> >
> >
> > That's pretty good, and it certainly demonstrates the power of art to mean
> > different things to different people.
> >
> > book "The Shining", about a hotel where spirits take over the minds of
> > visitors who happen to be gifted with a high ESP quotient. They become
> > prisoners of the spirits of the hotel...
> >
> > I simply enjoyed it as a thriller.
> >
> > Michael
>
I thought it was a song about people going to a coke house. Especially the
line attributed as a tribute to Steely Dan: "They stab it with their steely
knives, but they just can't kill the beast." To me, that's a reference to a
coke pile on a small mirror being cut into rows.
Peace
Mario Alaniz
David Creber
there is no one answer to this question, it has thousands of referents.
the above have all been cited, i like to think it is primarily about drug
addiction - coke and also cannabis (THC - the initials of the song, is
the active ingredient in hash). The point that you can give up coke any
time you want, but you can never be truly free once you have tried it
(you may always think <one last hit>) is evident in the line 'you can
check out any time you want, but you can never leave'. Addiction can be
seen as a repossessing of your body by an outside force - here is where
the satanic metaphor enters. Addiction is a monster, a 'beast', which
can never be killed once you have sold you soul to it (or at least it
feels like you can never kill it). There are also overtones of sexuality
in the song, the hotel being seen as a brothel. This adds another
dimension to the song, the fact that drug addiction is, like
prostitution, a way of abusing your body as a means of short term
gratification. The list goes on....... good thread though.
dave
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| D J Creber Langwith College |
| English and Linguistics University Of York |
| 1st Year Heslington |
| York Y01 5DD |
| djc...@york.ac.uk |
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LANCE LOVETT
U->can never be killed once you have sold you soul to it (or at least it
U->feels like you can never kill it). There are also overtones of sexuality
Also- Aleister Crowley's picture on the inside of the cover...
(supposed picture anyway)
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"In Years to come, we may discover what the air we breathe
and the life we lead are all about...But it won't be soon
enough...Soon enough for me."-Paul McCartney-Tug of War
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* OLX 2.1 TD * People are boring. Computers are fun.
Berry Kercheval
>>>>> really pretty clear if you think about this for a minute)
>>>>> is the old conflict of art and commerce...
>>>> I always thought the song was just a musical condensation of
>>>> Steven King's book "The Shining",
>>> It is most definitely about a lunatic asylum that was nicknamed Hotel
>>> California. Its that simple.
>> I thought it was a song about people going to a coke house.
> there is no one answer to this question,
Geez, when I gave that last answer a while ago I was lambasted for
posting "Pseudo-intellectual bullshit".
I guess I learned my lesson :-)
Thanks for everyone who psoted to this thread; now I know better.
--berry
Brenda Pollreisz
>From: kerch@reynaldo (Berry Kercheval)
>Subject: Re: DIS : What is Hotel California about??? (the steely dan
hi all.
this question has followed the eagles everywhere since 1978. in several
interviews with various members (ie. don henley, glenn frey, etc.), all
explain the song as a montage of images describing the decadence of southern
california in the 1970's. in one interview with glenn frey about five years
ago, he said the lyrics were born after listening to psychedelic music of the
1960's like the doors.
personally, the one line that intrigues me is "please bring me my wine/he said
we haven't had that spirit here since 1969." several people have said it's
about janis joplin and various other rock stars that died that year. i think
it better fits a reference to jack kerouac, author of the beat bible "on the
road." he died in 1969 of a liver hemmorage due to alcohol abuse...his drink
of choice was port wine. hence, the reference.
any thoughts on this theory?
beep
Greg Merritt
Some say that Hotel California was the first church of satan. The reference to please
bring me my wine is a reference to wine as being symbolism for the Holy Ghost and the
fact that God was not welcome since 1969, only satan. The song has different meanings to
different people. The reference to stabbing with steely knives has spawned a few
different meanings again...is he referring to Steely Dan or what? Who knows? The whole
song is a play on words. I just take it for what it is...a great tune that we all danced
to in junior high 6 years after it's release. The photo of Aleister Crowley was rather
spooky though!!
Greg Merritt
William Cain
Brenda Pollreisz (mulb...@mizzou1.missouri.edu) wrote:
: personally, the one line that intrigues me is "please bring me my wine/he said
: about janis joplin and various other rock stars that died that year. i think
: it better fits a reference to jack kerouac, author of the beat bible "on the
: road." he died in 1969 of a liver hemmorage due to alcohol abuse...his drink
: of choice was port wine. hence, the reference.
: any thoughts on this theory?
My friend told me that he heard (or maybe read--?) an interview with the
Eagles in which they said the only reason for using the year 1969 was
that it rhymed with "wine." I wouldn't be too surprised if that's true.
Will
Scott Kivitz
Isn't spirit just another word for wine???? Could it be that simple?
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David Poole
Scott Kivitz wrote:
>
> Isn't spirit just another word for wine???? Could it be that simple?
>
Its a very straight forward song about a real lunatic asylum that is
actually called the Hotel California. Thats what they said in an
interview when they released it all those years ago.
STEVE PAGUAGA
Those engaged in fereting out the hidden meanings to Hotel California,
would do well to remember these two facts:
1) The scope of chemically altered lyrics, infused, confused,
injected and suspected are too expansive to disect;
2) Quoting Wavey Gravey, " If you remember the sixties you
probably weren't there!"
Albert Song
Actually, i found out that Hotel California, has some pretty dark ties to
it. Many of the lyrics relate to Anton Levey, the founder of Satanism,
and what he did. He 'spirit of 1969' refers to the year in which
Satanism was started. Other clues are the 'mission bell' and ;shimmering
light.' I don't remeber exactly how they were related, i heard it a long
time ago. Oh, and, some people awhile back played it backwards. Guess
what? It said 'Yes, Satan has organized his own belief.'
JPhish
Check out the back cover of the "Hotel California" record, that is if you
have it on vinyl. The guy standing on the balcony is Anton Levay, and
the place is where The Eagles recorded the entire album...The Satanic
Church world headquarters in San Francisco.
Mr. Scholtens
> Actually, i found out that Hotel California, has some pretty dark ties to
> it. Many of the lyrics relate to Anton Levey, the founder of Satanism,
> and what he did. He 'spirit of 1969' refers to the year in which
> Satanism was started. Other clues are the 'mission bell' and ;shimmering
> light.' I don't remeber exactly how they were related, i heard it a long
> time ago. Oh, and, some people awhile back played it backwards. Guess
> what? It said 'Yes, Satan has organized his own belief.'
"Spirit of '69" is also the title of a book known as the "skinhead bible."
Don't know what relevence that has.
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