Henley Blasts 'Hotel California' Myth

[snopes]

Eagles rocker Don Henley is sick of questions about the inspiration behind the band's iconic hit "Hotel California" - because the truth is far more boring than the myths created by fans.

Legend has it Satanism is at the song's centre - but Henley insists the lyrics are merely an observation of life in America in the 1970s He says, "It's so boring. It's basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream, and about excess in America which is something we knew a lot about."

http://www.pr-inside.com/henley-blas...th-r318669.htm

[Simply Madeline]

Originally Posted by snopes

[Henley] says, "It's so boring."

Oh come on, you could say that about any Eagles song.

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Simply Madeline

Oh come on, you could say that about any Eagles song.

*GASP*

BLASPHEMER!!!

[Esprise Me]

At least he didn't make Paul McCartney's mistake and admit it was about drugs.

He could have borrowed a line from Don Maclean, who, when asked one too many times what "American Pie" meant, replied, "it means I'll never have to work again!"

[snapdragonfly]

...but it WAS about drugs. It was!! I had a substitute teacher in English in the 10th grade who parsed and interpreted the entire song for us! It was all about shooting up.

...that was a cool substitute.

snap*wish we'd had her again so she could do American Pie*dragonfly

My 12th grade English teacher spent several weeks on picking apart rock music, and he insisted this was about drugs as well.

[Cervus]

Originally Posted by snapdragonfly

It was all about shooting up.

I think "snorting up" would be a more apt description of the major influences on the Hotel California album - and on general rock music of 1977.

Cer "lines on the mirror" vus

[Brad from Georgia]

I thought it was about having Cool-Whip in your hair. You know, in retrospect, that probably cost me a lot of dates.

[Tootsie Plunkette]

Shooting, snorting... where does the "warm smell of colitas" fit in?

[remarkgullabull]

Originally Posted by Tootsie Plunkette

Shooting, snorting... where does the "warm smell of colitas" fit in?

Straight Dope speculates what it means.

[Chloe]

Just because Henley says it's not intended to be about drugs doesn't mean that drugs are not a valid interpretive key.

[Ali Infree]

Well, Henley said it was about excess that they knew about: so I think snorting probably counts. Another flip take on being rich is http://www.monkees.net/nez/lyr/ennui.txt

Of course, Henley would not have used "ennui" in a song title.

Ali "or titled a song Propinquity" Infree

[Beachlife!]

I thought it was about alcholism specifcally with these lines:

Some dance to remember, some dance to forget

Some drink to remember some drink to forget.

And she said ’we are all just prisoners here, of our own device’

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 checkout any time you like, But you can never leave!

Because with alcoholism you can quit drinking, but you can't stop being an alcoholic.

[remarkgullabull]

Because with alcoholism you can quit drinking, but you can't stop being an alcoholic.

Same thing with drug addiction.....

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Cervus

I think "snorting up" would be a more apt description of the major influences on the Hotel California album - and on general rock music of 1977.

Cer "lines on the mirror" vus

Well that too. But "stab it with their steely knives" was supposedly reference to needles. Though I guess it could be razor blades - except that then it says "but they just can't kill the beast" by which they mean the addiction, and they'd be stabbing themselves, not the drug. Also "we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" would be before cocaine got so popular and heroin was very big. ~ So they tell me.

[snapdragonfly]

Originally Posted by Beachlife!

I thought it was about alcholism specifcally with these lines:


Some drink to remember some drink to forget.




Because with alcoholism you can quit drinking, but you can't stop being an alcoholic.

No, I think it was not alcoholism because - "so I called to the captain, please bring me my wine, he said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" - which seems to indicate that drugs took over from alcohol as preferred chemical. (though in reality, drug users pretty much always use alcohol in addition.)

[STF]

I figured the myth was that "Hotel California" is a good song.

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by snapdragonfly

No, I think it was not alcoholism because - "so I called to the captain, please bring me my wine, he said, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" - which seems to indicate that drugs took over from alcohol as preferred chemical. (though in reality, drug users pretty much always use alcohol in addition.)

Don't they drink champagne on ice? Isn't champagne wine?

[RBCal]

Another myth?
The Hotel California = THC

Originally Posted by Chloe

Don't they drink champagne on ice? Isn't champagne wine?

Champagne is fizzier, comes from a specific region in France, and IIRC has a higher alcohol percentage but otherwise they are the same