Don Henley Explained the ‘Debauchery’ Behind The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’
A lot of classic rock bands got pretty debauched, to the point where “rock star behavior” is sometimes used as a synonym for “hedonism.” The Eagles’ “Hotel California” might be one of the most famous songs about rock star debauchery. Interestingly, it’s part of a long lineage of American works of art on the same topic.
Don Henley said The Eagles had to go wild to make ‘Hotel California’
During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, The Eagles’ Don Henley discussed the themes of “Hotel California.” “They’re the same themes that run through all of our work: loss of innocence, the cost of naiveté, the perils of fame, of excess; exploration of the dark underbelly of the American Dream, idealism realized and idealism thwarted, illusion versus reality, the difficulties of balancing loving relationships and work, trying to square the conflicting relationship between business and art; the corruption in politics, the fading away of the ’60s dream of ‘peace, love and understanding,'” he said.
“But it’s also important to remember that during the making of the Hotel California album, we were ecstatic much of the time,” the “The Boys of Summer” star said. ‘We knew we were onto something. So, you have the interesting juxtaposition of dark themes being developed and constructed in an atmosphere of excitement and productivity. (And OK, a little debauchery, here and there. You know what they say about all work and no play.)”
The Eagles wrote their own ‘Great Gatsby’
“Hotel California” is part of a great American tradition of media about people who make it to the top, engage in some debauchery, and see the downside of their lifestyle. This tradition includes F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Brian De Palma’s Scarface, and Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals. The latter was the first album Manson made after getting famous. What makes “Hotel California” different from all those is that it manages to get its narrative across in a few minutes.
Rock stars are usually known for partying hard and treating life like there’s no tomorrow. Of course, there is a tomorrow, and we all know that too much of a good thing can be very destructive. Perhaps The Eagles are beloved because they wrote a song displaying that they were mature enough to know that hedonistic delights can have dark ends.
‘Hotel California’ became a huge hit
“Hotel California” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week. It stayed on the chart for 19 weeks in total. The only Eagles song that lasted longer on the chart was “Take It to the Limit.” While The Eagles had many hit songs, “Hotel California” is arguably their most famous and beloved song today.
“Hotel California” appeared on the album of the same title. The alum Hotel California reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for eight weeks. It lasted on the chart for 158 weeks in total. Hotel California produced “New Kid in Town” and “Life in the Fast Lane,” both of which reached the top 10 in the United States. The cover of Hotel California remains iconic.
“Hotel California” is a song about debauchery that feels very classy. That might be part of its appeal.
