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Thread: Hotel California

  1. #11
    Stuck on the Border MikeA's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    It's about disease...colitis namely. I'm gonna be laughing at that one for a LONG TIME!

    The preacher who filled the pulpit at a contemporary non-denominational church I went to for a while heard me warming up before a Praise Service. I was softly finger-picking the arpegios to Hotel California and he came in the room and shut the door and "explained" to me what that song was about and earnestly urged me not to play "that kind" of music <LOL>. I imagine he called an emergency meeting of the elders to exorcise the building after that!

    Yesh! What a EVIL song! There were a LOT of whacky lyrics in it. Her name was Tiffany Twisted, She drives a Mercedes Bends. I wonder if the lamp people appreciated the reference. And wonder if the Mercedes she drives has pressure problems resulting in Rapture of the Deep or causes drivers (or do I mean divers) to have to spend time in a decompression chamber after a long drive?

    What about the 1969 reference? Man on the Moon? Last Public performance by the Beatles? Woodstock? Animals disbanded? Death of Brian Jones? Sharron Tate murder by Manson family? Jackson 5 is formed?

    I don't connect the Eagles with 1969. Henley didn't go to California until 1970 and at that time, he and Frey hadn't gotten together. So unless they just needed a word that rhymed with "wine" there must have been some cloaked reference to the year.

    What I'm saying is that 1969 was one of the most crucial YEARS in the history of Rock Music. I do not recall any statements clarifying that reference. Have any of you guys?

    MikeA

  2. #12
    Stuck on the Border Prettymaid's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Not the 1969 part, but remember Don degraded a journalist for misinterpretting the "spirit" reference. Got him good. It's around here somewhere, I forget which thread - probably Don in the media.
    ~ Cathy ~

    And I dream I'm on vacation 'Cause I like the way that sounds,
    It's a perfect occupation for me.

  3. #13
    Stuck on the Border Prettymaid's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Here's the quote from the interview:

    Q: On "Hotel California," you sing: "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.' " I realize I'm probably not the first to bring this to your attention, but wine isn't a spirit. Wine is fermented; spirits are distilled. Wine also has a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage than spirits. Do you regret that lyric?
    A:
    Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention -- and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
    ~ Cathy ~

    And I dream I'm on vacation 'Cause I like the way that sounds,
    It's a perfect occupation for me.

  4. #14
    Stuck on the Border EagleLady's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Just like in the Tootsie Pop ad, the world will never know

  5. #15
    Moderator Troubadour's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Quote Originally Posted by Prettymaid View Post
    Here's the quote from the interview:

    Q: On "Hotel California," you sing: "So I called up the captain / 'Please bring me my wine' / He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.' " I realize I'm probably not the first to bring this to your attention, but wine isn't a spirit. Wine is fermented; spirits are distilled. Wine also has a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage than spirits. Do you regret that lyric?
    A:
    Thanks for the tutorial and, no, you're not the first to bring this to my attention -- and you're not the first to completely misinterpret the lyric and miss the metaphor. Believe me, I've consumed enough alcoholic beverages in my time to know how they are made and what the proper nomenclature is. But that line in the song has little or nothing to do with alcoholic beverages. It's a sociopolitical statement. My only regret would be having to explain it in detail to you, which would defeat the purpose of using literary devices in songwriting and lower the discussion to some silly and irrelevant argument about chemical processes.
    LOL. Do you regret that question?

    Dontcha just love him?


    you better put it all behind you, baby, 'cause life goes on
    you keep carrying that anger, it'll eat you up inside--



  6. #16
    Stuck on the Border MikeA's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Ahhh, I should have known....1969...that was the year I turned 21 <LOL>

    What a time to become "legal". I wouldn't have missed it for the world, nor would I EVER want to go through it again! I was deeply into music as were most of my generation back then and ever since the Beatles back in '63, History was being made on the Music Scene I actually realized it! I was far enough away from it that I didn't get annihilated by the drug scene yet close enough to see what was happening. It is a real trip to go back and read books like "Laurel Canyon", "Long Time Gone", "Electric Gypsy", and "Living With the Dead".

    I was no angel, but neither did I pick up a lot of daemons like a lot of my peers did. I guess I was sort of the dreamer looking through a glass window at the excesses the others were indulging in. Probably a good thing that I stopped in Dallas rather than driving on to San Francisco or LA.

    MikeA

  7. #17
    Border Desperado anne-o-gg's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Quote Originally Posted by Prettymaid View Post
    It's either that or try to tell him it's about the seamy underbelly of L.A.
    I can just see the blank stare he would give me if I said this...totally LOL!!! And his intellegent reply would be..."Huh?"


    Quote Originally Posted by MikeA View Post
    The preacher who filled the pulpit at a contemporary non-denominational church I went to for a while heard me warming up before a Praise Service. I was softly finger-picking the arpegios to Hotel California
    This is SO much like my husband! He usually kicks into something "heathen" while rehearsing for worship...then the drummer goes right with him...lol...

    I always liked playing Deserado on the piano - it's such a pretty tune...I love the chords...so mellow!

    Sorry - back to subject at hand...


    ~Tonja~

  8. #18
    Stuck on the Border Peekaboo's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Thanks for all of the suggestions everybody. I gathered up plenty of quotes from several interviews about it. After reading it all, my friend gave in and said that she was just misinformed from her dad. I also took her the Very Best Of booklet and after reading it she says that she likes the Eagles even more and thanked me for bringing her all of that information. She said she only knows a few Eagles songs (HC, D, and LITFL) but now she wants to hear more of them.
    ~Jess~


    Stranded "on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
    Such a fine sight to see."

  9. #19
    Stuck on the Border MikeA's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    Oh No Jess! You've corrupted another innocent! Good On Ya!!!!!!!!!!

    MikeA

  10. #20
    Stuck on the Border Peekaboo's Avatar
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    Default Re: The meaning of Hotel California

    I'd call that a complete success!!!
    ~Jess~


    Stranded "on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
    Such a fine sight to see."

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