Hotel California

The Eagles’ Iconic Song Decoded

Hotel California – The Eagles’ Iconic Song Decoded

Hotel California is one of the most iconic songs in American Rock and Roll. The song was written by Don Felder (music), Don Henley and Glenn Frey and released in 1976. It appeared on the album Hotel California, which was their fifth studio album. The song quickly became a hit, and has been covered by many artists over the years. But what is it really about? Some people say that it's about a mental hospital, others believe that it's about the devil. We will take a line-by-line view of this song and try to decode what it's really about!

First, what are the conspiracies surrounding the song Hotel California by the Eagles?

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The first conspiracy is that the song is about the CIA's involvement in mind control and MK-ULTRA. The lyrics "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" are seen as a reference to the CIA's attempts to undermine and destroy the counterculture movement of the 1960s and 1970s. 

The second conspiracy is that the song is about Satanism and the occult. The lyrics "We are programmed to receive, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" are seen as a reference to the Illuminati's control over the minds of its members. Adding to this is the Satanic worship and human sacrifice that takes place at the Bohemian Grove. The lyrics "There's a dark place in the heart of California where the elite go to play" are seen as a reference to this dark and secretive place. 

The third conspiracy is that the song is about the New World Order and the global elite's plans for world domination. The lyrics "The future's uncertain and the end is always near" are seen as a reference to the New World Order's plans to create a one-world government. The lyrics "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device" are seen as a reference to the control that the Illuminati has over the world. The lyrics "And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast" are seen as a reference to the human sacrifice and cannibalism that takes place at the Bohemian Grove. 

What is the truth behind these conspiracies? Are they just urban legends, or is there more to the story? Only time will tell. 

Now onto the lyrics and their meanings...

• The first line of the song, "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair" is most likely referring to Highway 101 in California. This highway runs from Los Angeles all the way up to Oregon.
• The second line, "Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air" is most likely referring to the plant Cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana. This line is most likely referencing the fact that many people smoke marijuana while driving on this highway. Or it could be about a plant that grows wild along the highway, blooms at night, and has a pungent odor.
• The third line, "Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light" is most likely referring to the city of Los Angeles. This is the largest city in California and is full of lights and shimmering reflections.
• The fourth line, "My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim" is most likely referencing the fact that the narrator is tired and may be falling asleep.
• The fifth line, "I had to stop for the night" is most likely referencing the fact that the narrator is tired and needs to stop driving for the night. 
• The sixth line, "There she stood in the doorway" is most likely referencing a beautiful woman who is standing in the doorway of the Hotel inviting him in. 
• The seventh line, "I heard the mission bell" is most likely referencing that a bell was going off inside of his mind like a warning bell. 
• The eighth line, "And I was thinking to myself" is most likely referencing the fact that the narrator is having an internal dialogue with himself about whether or not he should go into the Hotel. 
• The ninth line, "This could be Heaven or this could be Hell" is most likely referencing the fact that the narrator is unsure if he should go in or not. These new surrounding were unfamiliar and while it looked like something he wanted; it could be like the devil in disguise. 
• The tenth line, "Then she lit up a candle" is most likely referencing the fact that the woman in the doorway lit up a preverbal torch to beckon him into the Hotel. Or this could be the beckoning lights of Los Angeles that can be seen from far away drawing him in. 
• The eleventh line, "And she showed me the way" is most likely referencing the fact that the woman in the doorway (or the lure of the city) is inviting him in and showing him the way. 
• The twelfth line, "There were voices down the corridor" is most likely referencing the hustlers and the enticing schemes that are prevalent in Los Angeles, especially Hollwood. 
• The thirteenth line, "I thought I heard them say" is most likely referencing the fact that while he is being initially consumed into this new lifestyle, he's not sure if he's hearing things or if they're actually saying something.
• The fourteenth line, "Welcome to the Hotel California" is most likely referencing the fact that he has finally arrived at his destination. The Hotel California is a metaphor for Hollywood and the false promises it offers. 
• The fifteenth line, "Such a lovely place" is most likely referencing the fact that Hollywood seems like a lovely place, full of glitz and glamour. 
• The sixteenth line, "Such a lovely face" is most likely referencing the fact that everyone in Hollywood seems to have a perfect face (the pretty people). 
• The seventeenth line, "Plenty of room at the Hotel California" is most likely referencing the fact that there's always room for more people in Hollywood. There's always room for more actors, more actresses, more singers, and more dancers to take the place of those that have checked out.
• The eighteenth line, "Any time of year" is most likely referencing the fact that Hollywood is always open for business, no matter what time of year it is. 
• The nineteenth line, "You can find it here" is most likely referencing the fact that Hollywood is the place for anything you want from drugs and sex to fame and fortune, and worse.
• The twentieth line, "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends, uh" is most likely referencing the fact that the woman in the doorway is all about the Benjamins. Tiffany is a high-end jewelry store and the implication is that she is materialistic and superficial.  "She got the Mercedes Bends" is a play on words that is most likely referencing the fact that she is talking about all of the material things that she has such as a Mercedes Benz but also the "bends" or problems that come with them such as drug addiction and mental instability. 
• The twenty-first line, "She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys that she calls friends" is most likely referencing the fact that she is talking about all of the men that she has in her life, disposable pretty boy lovers and friends with money.
• The twenty-second line, "How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat" is a reference to the line "And they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat" from the song "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. This line is most likely about how the people in the mental hospital dance to relieve their boredom and/or frustration.
• The twenty-third line, "Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" is most likely referencing the fact that some people in Hollywood are there to remember their past glory days while others are there to forget their painful pasts. This line could also be referencing the fact that some people go to mental hospitals to forget their problems while others go there to remember what it was like before they had their problems. 
• The twenty-fourth line, "So I called up the Captain, "Please bring me my wine"" is most likely referencing the fact that he is calling up his dealer to get more drugs. The "Captain" is a reference to the character Captain America from the Marvel comics who is always saving people. This line could also be interpreted as him calling up someone else in Hollywood who can help him get what he wants or needs. 
• The twenty-fifth line, "He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since 1969"" is most likely referencing the fact that Hollywood has changed since the '60s and it's not as wild and crazy as it used to be. This line could also be interpreted as the person on the other end of the phone telling him that they don't have what he wants or need anymore.
• The twenty-sixth line, "And still those voices are calling from far away" is most likely referencing the fact that he is still hearing voices in his head but is so far gone that he doesn't even realize it. This line could also be interpreted as him still longing for the days when Hollywood was wild and crazy and anything went, a time he didn't get to experience except in his own mind. 
• The twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth lines; "Wake you up in the middle of the night" is most likely referencing the fact that he is being kept up by the thoughts of in his head. The next line, " just to hear them say," could be him hearing the demons in his head tormenting him.
• Lines twenty-nine through thirty-one are a repeat of lines fourteen through sixteen.
• The thirty-second line, "They livin' it up at the Hotel California" is most likely referencing the fact that Hollywood is a place where people go to live out their dreams but it often turns into a nightmare. This line could also be interpreted as him saying that the people in Hollywood are living in a false reality.
• The thirty-third line, "What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)" is most likely him being sarcastic about how Hollywood is not what it seems. This line could also be interpreted as him being surprised that he is still alive despite all of the drugs he has taken.
• The thirty-fourth line, "Bring your alibis" is most likely him telling the people in Hollywood to have their stories straight when they go to the police or to the press. This line could also be interpreted as him telling them that they need to have an excuse for everything they do.
• The thirty-fifth line, "Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice" is most likely referencing the fact that there are a lot of drugs, sex, rock and roll in Hollywood and the mirrors are there so people can see themselves having sex. This was a common practice in the '70s.
• The thirty-sixth line, "And she said, "We are all just prisoners here of our own device"" is most likely her saying that they are all prisoners of their own making because of the choices they have made. This line could also be interpreted as her saying that they are all just prisoners of Hollywood and the lifestyle it brings; the glitz and glamor but also the seedy underbelly.
• The thirty-seventh line, "And in the master's chambers they gathered for the feast" is most likely referencing the fact that they were gathering for another drug and alcohol filled orgies common at the time.
• The thirty-eighth line, "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" may be a reference to the needles that were like steely knives and the beast was the addiction that no matter how much you try to satisfy, it is never enough. 
• The thirty-ninth line, "Last thing I remember, I was running for the door" is most likely referring to the person leaving their body behind as they overdose. Or it could be that he just wanted to get back to where he came from before entering the life in Hollywood.
• The fortieth line, "I had to find the passage back to the place I was before" is him coming to the realization that he needs to get out of this lifestyle and go back to how things were. He's tired of the partying and the drugs and just wants to go home. 
• The forty-first line, "Relax", said the night man, "We are programmed to receive" could be interpreted in a few ways. It could be that the person is so out of it that they're not even aware of their surroundings anymore and the night man is telling them to just relax. Or it could be that the night man is part of the conspiracy and he's telling the person that they are programmed to do what they're told and receive what they're given. 
• The forty-second line, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" is probably the most famous line in the song. It could mean that you can check out by overdosing but you can never leave your addiction behind.

What do you think Hotel California is really about? Is it about addiction? The devil? Hollywood? Let us know...