Don Felder Explained the ‘Propaganda’ Behind The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’
When people think of propaganda, they generally think of movies, television shows, and music from totalitarian regimes that are full of lies and distortions. They don’t think of The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Despite this, The Eagles’ Don Felder said that the song was inspired by a certain type of propaganda. His words might change how fans see the song forever.
Don Felder said that The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ was partly inspired by bikinis
During a 2013 interview with SongFacts, Felder was asked what inspired The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” “As you’re driving in Los Angeles at night, you can see the glow of the energy and the lights of Hollywood and Los Angeles for 100 miles out in the desert,” he said. “And on the horizon, as you’re driving in, all of these images start coming into your mind of the propaganda and advertisement you’ve experienced about California.
“In other words, the movie stars, the stars on Hollywood Boulevard, the beaches, bikinis, palm trees, all those images that you see and that people think of when they think of California start running through your mind,” he added. “You’re anticipating that. That’s all you know of California.”
The Eagles were part of a long history of classic rock in the Golden State
Classic rock alone has done a lot to mythologize the Golden State. Some popular tracks about California include The Doors’ “L.A. Woman,” Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” and Weezers’ “Beverly Hills” all give the state a certain mystique. The Eagles’ “Hotel California” might be the most significant musical contributor to California’s image. Lots of people see the state as a cool place with a dark side, as it is in “Hotel California.”
Felder said that few members of The Eagles were actually from the Golden State. “Well, actually, nobody in the band except for Bernie Leadon and later Timothy Schmit were from California,” he said. “Everybody was from a different state. Walsh was from Kansas, [Don] Henley was from Texas, Glenn [Frey] was from Detroit, I was from Florida. And we all drove into Los Angeles on what used to be Route 66.” Sometimes, an artist needs an outsider’s perspective in order to comment on something in an exciting way.
‘Hotel California’ took over the world
“Hotel California” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week and stayed on the chart for 19 weeks in total. It was the group’s most popular No. 1 single and spent more time on the chart than any Eagles song besides “Take It to the Limit.”
“Hotel California” appeared on the album of the same name. The album Hotel California peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for eight weeks and lasted on the chart for 158 weeks. The record produced two other hits: “Life in the Fast Lane” and “New Kid in Town.”
Hotel California remains the band’s biggest studio album. The only Eagles albums that were more popular in the United States were the compilation records Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and The Very Best of The Eagles. I guess all that propaganda worked!
The Eagles’ “Hotel California” might not reflect propaganda in the usual sense of the word but it definitely reinforced the overall image of the Golden State.
