What do the lyrics of Hotel California by the Eagles mean?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

no one actually has said a definet meaning. it is known that the "warm smell of colitas" in the begining is a referance to pot, but after that, no one knows.
but, to ease your mind, here are some of the most accepted meanings:

(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. 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."

(2) The Hotel California is a mental hospital. I see one guy on the Web has identified it as "Camarillo State Hospital in Ventura County between LA and Santa Barbara."

(3) It's about satanism. Isn't everything?

(4) Hotel California is a metaphor for cocaine addiction. See "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave." This comes from the published comments of Glenn Frey, one of the coauthors.

(5) It's about the pitfalls of living in southern California in the 1970s, my interpretation since first listen. Makes perfect sense, and goddammit, who you going to believe, some ignorant rock star or me?

(6) My fave, posted to the Usenet by Thomas Dzubin of Vancouver, British Columbia: "There was this fireworks factory just three blocks from the Hotel California . . . and it blew up! Big tragedy. One of the workers was named Wurn Snell and he was from the town of Colitas in Greece. One of the workers who escaped the explosion talked to another guy . . . I think it was probably Don Henley . . . and Don asked what the guy saw. The worker said, "Wurn Snell of Colitas . . . rising up through the air."

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

VERY GOOD ANSWER!! The Eagles should tell what the song is about.

Answer 2

the person is dead, and in a place like hell

Answer 3

its actually all about a crazy house! "u can check out any time u'd like but u cant never leave!"

Answer 4

Without analyzing the entire song, it is about a brothel. The song is about becoming "lost" in a game of going to Hotel California and not being able to get out of the game.

Answer 5

I think he is dead and he don't know it himself and he is in hell

Answer 6

Pretty much nothing...but people have made it say pretty much everything. It is the great projective test of music.