There aren’t many fans who would question how amazing the Eagles are thanks to being one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time as well as being regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time by numerous respectable magazines such as Rolling Stone when they ranked Eagles on their list of ‘The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.’
Thanks to a legendary music career that spans over more than three decades, the Eagles had countless monumental tracks that are fans’ favorite such as, ‘Desperado,’ ‘Take It Easy,’ ‘The Last Resort,’ and so many more, however, there isn’t a song quite like the iconic ‘Hotel California,’ the track that has countless interpretations when it comes to its meaning behind the lyrics. While there must be dozens of stories about the song, let’s break down the top 2 by fans and the creators of the song.
‘Hotel California’ Is About A Tragic Love Story
The lyrics of ‘Hotel California’ has been analyzed countless times ever since it came out four decades ago, and despite having conspiracy theories such as the whole song secretly about the devil, one of the most popular stories about the song is about two lovers who lost each other because of a fire.
It all begins in the summer of 1969 when a man goes on a long trip and in order to rest as he passes by California, he finds the Hotel California which has all the qualities depicted in the track. On the second day at the hotel, the main character meets a girl from next door and the two becomes friends, starting to spend time together.
Soon after, the two fell for each other and decide to spend the rest of their trip in Hotel California. The couple deeply fell in love with each other and spend the whole summer together, mesmerized by the welcoming hotel stuff and the lovely atmosphere of the hotel.
After experiencing an unforgettable summer and a passionate love, the two lovers had a decision to make when the time to leave arrives and they make a deal, if they don’t forget about and continue to love each other for the next year, they will meet the first day of the next summer at the Hotel California until then the two decide to never hear from each other as well.
After a year, the man goes on a trip to Hotel California on the day the two met just like they promised each other, only to find a building that is burned to the ground a day before. The girl who was at the hotel a day before, waiting for his lover to come, dies, and the desperate lover loses the love of his life for good.
Moved by this tragic love story, band members decide to create a track dedicated to the two lovers and that’s when the monumental song, ‘Hotel Cafironia’ was created according to many fans. Despite having many other stories about the song, this touching love story seems to be the one that’s remembered by a great number of fans and considered to be the one that fits the story of the track as well.
What Do The Eagles Say About The Story Of ‘Hotel California?’
As many of you know, ‘Hotel California’ is the title track from the Eagles’ fifth studio album and was released as a single on February 22, 1977. The legendary lyrics of the song were created by drummer and co-lead vocalist Don Henley as well as the co-lead singer Glenn Frey while the music credits for the song go to the lead guitarist Don Felder.
The song is a complete triumph from every aspect since its long guitar coda was voted the best guitar solo of all time by readers of Guitarist, the song itself was awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1978, reaching the number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top ten of several international charts.
There’s no doubt that the song has created its own legacy from the moment it was released, therefore, the lyrics of the song have been given various interpretations both by fans and critics over the years. However, the Eagles themselves described the true meaning of the song in the 2013 documentary, ‘History of the Eagles,’ when Don Henley stated that the song depicts the process from innocence to experience and nothing more.
Here is what Henley said:
“a journey from innocence to experience… that’s all…”
During another interview with Rolling Stone, the lyricist of the track Don Henley revealed that ‘Hotel California’ symbolizes the United States with a general perspective, dealing with themes such as darkness and light, young and old, good and evil in addition to once again stressing the fact that the song is all about losing innocence.
Here is what Don Henley said:
“The song is more of a symbolic piece about America in general. Lyrically, the song deals with traditional or classical themes of conflict: darkness and light, good and evil, youth and age, the spiritual versus the secular. I guess you could say it’s a song about the loss of innocence.”
Regardless of the real story behind this timeless masterpiece, ‘Hotel California’ manages to stay as one of the most iconic songs in the whole music history and became a part of international popular culture as well as being considered the most famous recording by the Eagles up to this date, leaving nothing but joy after listening to it.
You can listen to ‘Hotel California’ below.
