Hotel California by the Eagles — released as a single on February 22, 1977 from the 1976 album of the same name. Written by Don Felder (music), Don Henley and Glenn Frey (lyrics), produced by Bill Szymczyk, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in May 1977 — the band's fourth US No. 1 — won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1978, and closes with the famous Felder–Joe Walsh dual guitar solo voted the best of all time by Guitarist readers in 1998.
Image: Eagles (official music video still, via the Eagles' official YouTube channel)
Hotel California Song Credits
Song: Hotel California
Singer: Eagles (lead vocals Don Henley)
Lyrics: Don Henley, Glenn Frey
Music: Don Felder
Album: Hotel California (1976)
Music Label: Asylum Records
Release Date: February 22, 1977 (single)
Hotel California Lyrics
[Verse 1]
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
[Verse 2]
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
[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
[Verse 3]
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
[Verse 4]
So I called up the Captain
"Please bring me my wine"
He said, "We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine"
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say
[Chorus]
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (What a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis
[Verse 5]
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
[Verse 6]
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!"
Hotel California FAQs
Who wrote "Hotel California"?
Don Felder wrote the music; Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote the lyrics; Bill Szymczyk produced.
What is the song about?
Per the band, "an interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles" — a journey from innocence to experience, the dark underbelly of the American dream.
When was it released and how did it chart?
Single February 22, 1977; one week at Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 in May 1977; Grammy Record of the Year 1978.
What does "colitas" mean?
Widely read as Spanish slang for cannabis buds; the band never confirmed it — part of the mystique.
If you love classic-rock evergreens like Hotel California, keep the streak going with the Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics, the Elton John biography, and Rocket Man next.
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