While many theories abound as to the song’s meaning, singer Don Henley has said that it was just about “‘the decadence and escapism of the ‘70s.’” – Alan Lewens, Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century
In the early ’70s, the Eagles took wing, rising up from being Linda Ronstadt’s backup band to becoming the premiere country rock group. Through four albums, they crafted a sound that de-emphasized the twang just enough to give them widespread appeal.
By their fifth album, personnel changes meant the Eagles had more muscle with the dual guitars of Don Felder and Joe Walsh. This new direction in sound led to the Eagles as a dominant force in the classic rock arena, and nowhere was that takeover more apparent than on “Hotel California.”
The song’s tale of a luxury resort where “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave” has prompted multiple interpretations. Theories abound as to song’s inspiration although all such rumors have been denied by the band. WK Themes range from heroin addiction to Satan worship, RS500 from being about a cannibal-run hotel, a state mental hospital, or a metaphor for cancer. WK
Singer Don Henley said it was about “‘the decadence and escapism of the ‘70s.’” LW The song is considered an allegory about the music industry and the destructive influence it had on the Eagles. As Henley has also said, “‘We were all middle-class kids from the Midwest…‘Hotel California’ was our interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles.’” RS500
Bandmate Glenn Frey asserts that California was just “‘a microcosm for the rest of the world,’” LW a sentiment echoed by Henley’s comments that the song explores “‘the dark underbelly of the American dream and...excess in America.’” WK
Review Source(s):
LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 138.
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