Hotel California Analysis

This was written in reply to a blogger who analyzed the Eagles' song "Hotel California."

Here is the link to the blogger's post.

Here is my comment:

I concur with your analysis of Hotel California. You hit on a topic that has interested me in the past.

It seems to me that the Eagles often have addressed the subject of a sort of "end of Rome" lifestyle that was especially prevalent in Southern California around the 1970s-1980s, with coke and freewheeling multi-partner sex being considered smart and hip, instead of stupid and dead end. Drug use of all kinds was rampant. There became almost a social obligation in many circles to "do a line" or take a toke and disrobe and settle into a hot tub with often a sexual outcome.

What was remarkable was that this sex drugs and champagne lifestyle did a full 180-degree turn from being a taboo subject to being something to be socially pressured to participate in.

The Eagles emphasize the background of emptiness and "dead-endness" and sometimes despair and dread that can very much go along with this hedonistic lifestyle. I am not being preachy or prudish; I am simply saying what I saw growing up through all of this. I am not a major Eagles fan, so I can't rattle off a bunch of references, but what immediately comes to mind as example of this Eagles "specialty" topic of "spiritual suicide amidst chandeliers" is "Life in the Fast Lane." and (somewhat relevant) "Lyin" Eyes." Of course, there is Hotel California. I guarantee there are more songs written in the vein of Hotel California; I just can't rattle them off on short notice. I am very much wondering if Don Henley is the main force behind this "journalistic" covering of this strange episode in human history of the drugs and sex debauchery of the 1970s-1980s in Southern California.

Thank you for your Hotel California analysis. I agree that music has gone down the toilet since the 1960-early 70s period, with a few exceptions on occasion. My long-dead mother told me when I was growing up that fashions come and go and there would maybe be two times, if I was lucky, that my tastes in music would fit in with what was popular. I am still waiting for the second period.
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