Verse 1:
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...
Verse 2:
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 check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! "
Chorus:
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here
Monday, September 8, 2014
Different interpretations of the lyrics
Wikipedia:
The lyrics weave a surrealistic tale in which a weary traveler checks into a luxury hotel. The hotel at first appears inviting and tempting, but it turns out to be a nightmarish place where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave". The song is an allegory about hedonism, self-destruction, and greed in the music industry of the late 1970s.
"Don Henley and Glenn wrote most of the words. All of us kind of drove into L.A. at night. Nobody was from California, and if you drive into L.A. at night... you can just see this glow on the horizon of lights, and the images that start running through your head of Hollywood and all the dreams that you have, and so it was kind of about that... what we started writing the song about. Coming into L.A.... and from that 'Life in the Fast Lane' came out of it, and 'Wasted Time' and a bunch of other songs." - Don Felder
The term "colitas" in the first stanza means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers to buds of the cannabis (marijuana) plant.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California
Schmoop:
According to some interpretations, "Hotel California" is a song about drug addiction; others have viewed it as a song about a mental hospital, or devil worship, or – in one especially oddball take – even a real hotel run by cannibals. (That one sure puts a delicious new spin on "you can check out but you can never leave.")
Most likely, however, it is a song that chronicles the culture of excess, wealth, decadence, and self-destruction in the Southern California cultural milieu of the mid-1970s...the Eagles are criticizing the culture of excess surrounding the rich and famous in Los Angeles – a culture that they were a part of.
Link: http://www.shmoop.com/hotel-california-eagles/meaning.html
Other Interpretations:
- The attractive qualities of worldly things and their ultimate unfortunate end
- Once you're sucked into the west coast dream "you can check out" via drugs, or whatever "but you can never leave". Whatever youthful idealism you once had is forever gone and sucked up by the machine that is the music business.
Link: http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/eagles/hotel-california
My Interpretation:
Before I'd read any of the previous interpretations I'd thought it was simply a ghost story or a tale of an insane asylum or someone with schizophrenia.
However, now taking into account the culture of the era in which this song was released, and that of California itself int eh 1980s, the interpretation that it is about drug addiction rings truer to me. However, I think it might be an interesting idea visually to combine both ideas in my final submission, i.e. a Gothic hotel filled with drug addicts.
The lyrics weave a surrealistic tale in which a weary traveler checks into a luxury hotel. The hotel at first appears inviting and tempting, but it turns out to be a nightmarish place where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave". The song is an allegory about hedonism, self-destruction, and greed in the music industry of the late 1970s.
"Don Henley and Glenn wrote most of the words. All of us kind of drove into L.A. at night. Nobody was from California, and if you drive into L.A. at night... you can just see this glow on the horizon of lights, and the images that start running through your head of Hollywood and all the dreams that you have, and so it was kind of about that... what we started writing the song about. Coming into L.A.... and from that 'Life in the Fast Lane' came out of it, and 'Wasted Time' and a bunch of other songs." - Don Felder
The term "colitas" in the first stanza means "little tails" in Spanish; in Mexican slang it refers to buds of the cannabis (marijuana) plant.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California
Schmoop:
According to some interpretations, "Hotel California" is a song about drug addiction; others have viewed it as a song about a mental hospital, or devil worship, or – in one especially oddball take – even a real hotel run by cannibals. (That one sure puts a delicious new spin on "you can check out but you can never leave.")
Most likely, however, it is a song that chronicles the culture of excess, wealth, decadence, and self-destruction in the Southern California cultural milieu of the mid-1970s...the Eagles are criticizing the culture of excess surrounding the rich and famous in Los Angeles – a culture that they were a part of.
Link: http://www.shmoop.com/hotel-california-eagles/meaning.html
Other Interpretations:
- The attractive qualities of worldly things and their ultimate unfortunate end
- Once you're sucked into the west coast dream "you can check out" via drugs, or whatever "but you can never leave". Whatever youthful idealism you once had is forever gone and sucked up by the machine that is the music business.
Link: http://www.lyricinterpretations.com/eagles/hotel-california
My Interpretation:
Before I'd read any of the previous interpretations I'd thought it was simply a ghost story or a tale of an insane asylum or someone with schizophrenia.
However, now taking into account the culture of the era in which this song was released, and that of California itself int eh 1980s, the interpretation that it is about drug addiction rings truer to me. However, I think it might be an interesting idea visually to combine both ideas in my final submission, i.e. a Gothic hotel filled with drug addicts.
Hotel California
Hotel California
Song and lyrics by: Don Henley, Don Felder, Glenn Frey
On a drak desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
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 the candle
And she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
Thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Anytime 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 1969"
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night]
Thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They're 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 a passage back to the place I was before
"Relax," said the nightman,
"We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!"
Song and lyrics by: Don Henley, Don Felder, Glenn Frey
On a drak desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
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 the candle
And she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor
Thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Anytime 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 1969"
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night]
Thought I heard them say
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They're 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 a passage back to the place I was before
"Relax," said the nightman,
"We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!"
Assignment 2 Brief
Assignment Two:
Create an triptych based on a song that uses a non-linear narrative structure.
Medium: stills, booklet, objects, animation, installation, or automata
Pick one of the songs below. Chose 2 verses and the chorus and research what is the story implied within the song.
1. Civil War - Guns and Roses
2. A boy named Sue - Johnny Cash
3. Space oddity - David Bowie
4. Shine on you crazy diamond - Pink Floyd
5. Excuse me Mr - Ben Harper
6. Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
7. Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
8. White Rabbit - Jefferson airplane
9. Hotel California - The Eagles
10. Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
8. White Rabbit - Jefferson airplane
9. Hotel California - The Eagles
10. Wuthering Heights - Kate Bush
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