Date: May 7, 1977
Weeks: 1
This is a nice little 4-minute song that somebody decided needed to be padded out with 2 and a half minutes of additional guitars. Fans of this song always want to make it out to be more important and meaningful than I think it really is, but it just keeps going and going well past its finish.
Other than its length, there's a lot to like here. The music is quality guitar and drum rock, with plenty of rising action and quiet moments of reflection. While I still think the length is arbitrary, at least the guitars are pleasant to listen to after the lyrics are done.
I think the lyrics are cleverly written. They tell an intriguing fantasy story about a traveler who winds up at a mysterious hotel filled with characters and odd events, and then he finds he can't leave. There's obviously a deeper meaning hinted at here. You can probably find far more detailed discussion about the song's lyrics elsewhere, as I know this song has fans who have discussed and interpreted the lyrics for years. Personally, I connect it to a theory I heard once about how nobody makes their home in Los Angeles, they all just stay there because that's where they work. All of Los Angeles is the Hotel California. Granted, that only covers the famous "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" line, but since it's how the song ends it's the line that sticks with me. Anyway, I think that interpretation works well with most of the rest of the song, too.
My verdict: Like it. I don't think this song is as deep as some of its more intense fans do, but it's certainly a nice enough song, and the lyrics are cleverly written.
No comments:
Post a Comment