Don Henley Explained the ‘Perfection’ of The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’
Some classic rock songs get too little attention. The Eagles’ “Hotel California” is not one of those songs. A member of the band said it’s lyrically perfect and here’s why.
Don Henley revealed why he likes The Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’ so much
During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, The Eagles’ Don Henley was asked which Eagles song he liked the most on a lyrical level. “I guess I’d have to say ‘Hotel California,’ although I feel it important to point out that Glenn [Frey] contributed some very important lines to that set of lyrics,” he said. “Those lyrics employ what Glenn used to call ‘the perfect ambiguity,’ and are open to a wide array of interpretations – and we’ve seen some doozies. But the song has somehow resonated all around the globe, even with people who live in countries with which our government does not have the best of relations; people whose first language is not English.”
“I was once visiting a remote village in a mountaintop jungle in Honduras – and when I say remote, I mean these people were living in the most primitive of conditions – no electricity, no plumbing; crude, makeshift shelters – when one of the villagers disappeared into a little hut and came out holding a beat-up old cassette player,” the “The Boys of Summer” star recalled. “He pointed to the cassette player, then pointed at me and said, ‘You.’ I later found out that the cassette in the player was ‘Hotel California.’ The song got around.”
People think that The Eagles’ best song is Satanic
“Hotel California” had a big impact on popular culture. The track inspired covers by Nancy Sinatra, The Killers, and Gipsy Kings. The latter cover appeared in the cult classic film The Big Lebowski. The film has a running gag where one character hates The Eagles.
The song also spawned an urban legend that it’s about the Church of Satan, which was founded by writer Anton LaVey in 1966. There’s no good reason to see any connection between the song and the Church. The urban legend surrounding “Hotel California” is one of many rock ‘n’ roll rumors connecting the genre to the occult. Similar conspiracy theories include the idea that Led Zeppelin put a Satanic backward message in “Stairway to Heaven” and the idea that Kiss’ name stands for “Knights in Satan’s Service.” For complicated reasons, many listeners found rock music threatening so it’s no surprise people wanted to believe it was downright diabolical.
‘Hotel California’ was so big
“Hotel California” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, lasting on the chart for 19 weeks in total. It was one of the band’s most popular songs and it remains a constant presence on classic rock radio. The tune appeared on the album of the same name. Hotel California was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for eight weeks, staying on the chart for 158 weeks altogether.
“Hotel California” was also one of the tracks on The Eagles’ compilation album, Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2. That record hit No. 52 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. The record was nothing compared to the earlier Eagles compilation, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975), which remains one of the biggest albums of all time.
“Hotel California” is one of the best songs of all time and Henley seems to know that.
