Hotel California

Diverse views and problems in the Eagles’ song, “Hotel California”

In the song “Hotel California,” the Eagles address three problems that the people of California faced, and ultimately the whole U.S., in the 1970’s. Drug usage, materialism, and divorce are among the major complications of this time. The imagery, syntax, and word choice clearly contribute to the listener’s understanding of these three elements and stress the different rolls that the speaker takes on. The speaker tells the story of a drug addiction through the addicts perspective, tells of the causes and effects of materialism, and tells of a relationship ending in divorce from the first person point of view. In addition, the incorporation of repetition emphasizes the seriousness and the popularity of the problems present.

The Eagles use symbolism and diction to tell the story of a drug addiction and to analyze the large drug use at this time. Two symbols in the first two lines represent the psychoactive effect of drugs, the “high.” The Spanish term “colitas,” meaning “little buds,” represents the widespread use of cannabis, which, in fact, is a plant which spreads seeds with buds. In the next line, the listener hears how the speaker is “driving down the highway, cool wind in [his] hair,” which paints a picture of freedom and autonomy and represents the high of the drug. Later on in the song, metaphorical statements analyze the real purpose of drug abuse. The speaker says, “some dance to remember, and some dance to forget,” a testimony to the ways in which drugs can be used to have a good time or to forget the bad times. Two lines of advice at the end of the song suggest the negative side, the addiction of drugs: “We are all just prisoners here of our own device.” This symbolizes how the drug addiction is entirely the user’s fault and responsibility. The last line of the song says, “You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave,” which symbolizes how one may be temporarily clean, but the mental and physical scars never fully heal. Through these metaphors and images, the Eagles present a valid and accurate story of the “highs” and lows of drugs.

The Eagles play on words and use of symbolism explore the viewpoint and problem of materialism in the 1970’s. The image of a “shimmering light” represents the leading power of this symbol as the light draws people into its rich, illustrious image. Two simultaneous lines in the chorus represent the actual materials and glamour that were praised and worshipped as a part of this culture: “Such a lovely place” presents the many beaches and mansions of California, which are often at the heart of materialism; and “Such a lovely face” suggests the popular Californian matter of plastic surgery and “making one self look better.” Those are at the center of the materialistic attitude. These two lines appear in the chorus and are repeated several times. This repetition suggests their importance among the people at this time. Two plays on words found in the middle of the song present the effects of materialism . The line “her mind was tiffany-twisted” introduces a popular item of glamour often praised by people as a side effect of materialism. “Tiffany” refers to an expensive, high-class line of jewelry, and “twisted” refers to how materialism twists the morals and values of one’s life. In the same line, the speaker says, “she got the Mercedes Benz.” Cars are another worshipped item by the high class of society, but what one does not always see is the play on the word “Benz.” This word could be interpreted as “bends,” as in “to bend something.” The diction of this word presents an additional side effect of materialism, being that it bends reality so one does not understand responsibility and priority. Owing to the use of diction and symbolism, the Eagles address and respond to the never-ending problem of materialism.