The song is about cocaine addiction (they're looking at you, Glenn Frye.).The song is in some way about the band Steely Dan ( they stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast.).The real Hotel California was a mental hospital.There was a real Hotel California, and it was run by cannibals.The song is an ode to Satanism (based on the lyrics we haven't had that spirit here since 1969 - some take this spirit to be God.).But the real meaning of Hotel California lyrics are presumably not in the storytelling itself, but rather in the symbolism.īut what DOES it all mean? People have come up with all kinds of theories over the years about the meaning of the song overall, the location of the 'real' Hotel California and other snippets of the song, including: This story is not unlike the typical 'traveler stumbling upon large house in the middle of nowhere - strange things happen inside' story that has been the basis of many a story and film. The narrator decides he needs to make a run for it - that he'd rather be on the outside - but then in a nightmarish twist, he is then informed that he can check out but not really ever leave. Once inside, the narrator discovers a strange world of excess - mirrored ceilings, pink champagne, a large feast - and guests singing a welcome to him as they try to invite him into their world. A weary traveler driving down a desolate road (yes, a dark, desert highway) spies the lights of a lone hotel and decides to stop off for the night. The story told in Hotel California is familiar. In reality, there are two stories going on in Hotel California - the narrative itself and the deeper meaning. As is also typical in these kinds of cases, the ultimate meaning of every line remains elusive, but there are a few thematic clues. Hotel California Lyrics - What are They All About?Īs is typical with any song that has captured the public's attention for so long, the lyrics to Hotel California have been sliced, diced and dissected thousands of times by people searching for hidden meaning.

Hotel california song meaning