this song
FREE LESSON: Learn Guitar, Piano, Drums, Singing, Bass from Hotel California by the Eagles!
Composed in 1977 by Don Felder, Don Henley And Glenn Frey, Hotel California remains one of the masterpieces of the American group Eagles, featured on their fifth self-titled album.
Although interpretations of this song may vary, its essence remains a poetic depiction of California as a place of transition and illusion, where aspirations of wealth and fame are sometimes disappointed.
Initially called “Mexican Reggae” when it was released in 1976, Hotel California became an emblematic piece of the Eagles' repertoire. The inspiration behind the title has its roots in the band's frequent stays at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
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The masterful composition of Don Felder, Don Henley And Glenn Frey, “Hotel California”, released in 1977, remains a pillar in the repertoire of the American group Eagles, featured on their fifth album of the same name. Here are the free extracts from the full version of our lesson How to play Hotel California?
If you are a budding musician or an experienced amateur, it is very likely that you know the famous song “Hotel California” by the Eagles. If you want to learn how to play it, here are some tips for you before practicing our lesson for free!
Course Learn Free Guitar Arpeggios from Hotel California
If you have a guitar in your hands, you will find one of the most complete versions for each part of the song on the internet. Whether you prefer to play the main guitar in arpeggio, accompany the intro, or try the different melodic parts, there are resources adapted to your level. The solos of Don Felder or Joe Walsh are also within your reach if you are more experienced.
Course Learn Free Guitar Chords and Vocals from Hotel California
If you want to play the song on guitar while singing, you have two options. The first is to play the basic chords while singing the melody, an option accessible to beginners. The second, more advanced, requires mastering the rhythm and playing the guitar in its original version while singing. Once you understand the specific rhythm, you can play and sing the whole song.
Learn the Drums Free Course from Hotel California
If the drums are your instrument of choice, don't worry, tutorials on the internet will show you how to play “Hotel California” with this instrument. And if you are interested in piano or bass, you will also find all the necessary information in these courses.
Learn the Free Piano Course from Hotel California
Learn Bass Free Course from Hotel California
If you're a bassist or pianist, you won't be left out. The resources available will guide you in learning each part of the song.
Whatever your preference as a singer, bassist, guitarist, drummer or pianist, take the time to practice and master each component of this legendary piece of American rock. “Hotel California” is worth your time and energy.
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
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 a candle and showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say...
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place,(such a lovely place) such a lovely face
There's plenty of room at the Hotel California
Anytime of year,(anytime of year) you can find us here...
Her mind is Tiffany twisted, She got a Mercedes Benz
She got a lot of pretty pretty boys, that she calls friends
How they danced in the court yard sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the captain please bring me my wine (he said)
We haven't had that spirit here since 1969
and still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up... in the middle of the night, just to hear them say hey
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place,(such a lovely place) such a lovely face
They live on top of the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, (what a nice surprise) bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling, the pink champagne on ice (an she said)
We are all just pri-so-ners here, of our own device
And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steel knives but they just can't kill the beast
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...
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In this song, the Eagles warn listeners about the two most perilous elements known to man: women and California.
The plot reveals a traveler driving on a lonely desert road late at night, experiencing the wind and the aroma of desert flowers. His need for rest leads him to the Hotel California, thus revealing the evocative title.
At the heart of the song, a mysterious woman welcomes the traveler with a seductive song, evoking a Homeric mermaid. Although his role is central, details about him remain enigmatic. The speaker, with growing perplexity, hears voices extolling the pleasures of the hotel. The wealth of the woman and the beauty of her friends are part of this captivating narrative.
The plot takes a disturbing turn when the speaker orders wine, revealing a spirit left over from the 1960s. He loses consciousness, hearing the voices discussing the need for an alibi to prove their innocence. This moment raises the first doubts about the idyll of the hotel. The woman then reveals that all the residents are prisoners of their own creations, participating in dark rituals.
The first lines of the song evoke Californian highways, symbols of freedom, desolation and carefreeness in the Eagles' imagination. Initially seen as a sunny oasis, California becomes a transitory place for those searching, reflecting the spirit of passage inherent in Californian life.
The song explores the duality of Los Angeles, an oasis in appearance, but a mirage to many in search of wealth and fame. Don Henley's text depicts a California shaped by false hopes, symbolized by easily exhausted gold and dreams of fortune turned illusion.
Some interpretations see the song as an allegory for drug addiction, a mental hospital, or even devil worship. More plausibly, it exposes the culture of excess, wealth and self-destruction in the Californian cultural milieu of the 1970s.
Originally named “Mexican Reggae“, this iconic song took shape after Don Felder sent an instrumental version to Don Henley And Glenn Frey. Nicknamed thus by Henley because of its Mexican sounds and its rhythm reminiscent of reggae, the title “Hotel California” emerged during the group's frequent stays at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
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