HOTEL CALIFORNIA by EAGLES - Easy Chords for Ukulele
Intro: [Am] [E7] [G] [D] [F] [C] [Dm] [E7]
Verse 1
[Am]On a dark desert highway [E7]cool wind in my hair
[G]Warm smell of colitas [D]rising up through the air
[F]Up ahead in the distance [C]I saw a shimmering light
[Dm]My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
[E7]I had to stop for the night
Verse 2
[Am]There she stood in the doorway [E7]I heard the mission bell
[G]And I was thinking to myself this could be [D]heaven or this could be hell
[F]Then she lit up a candle [C]and she showed me the way
[Dm]There were voices down the corridor [E7]I thought I heard them say
Chorus
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [E7]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
[F]Plenty of room at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Any [Dm]time of year you can [E7]find it here
Verse 3
[Am]Her mind is Tiffany twisted [E7]she got the Mercedes bends
[G]She got a lot of pretty pretty boys [D]that she calls friends
[F]How they dance in the courtyard [C]sweet summer sweat
[Dm]Some dance to remember [E7]some dance to forget
Verse 4
[Am]So I called up the captain [E7]please bring me my wine
He said [G]we haven't had that spirit here since [D]1969
[F]And still those voices are calling from [C]far away
[Dm]Wake you up in the middle of the night [E7]just to hear them say
Chorus
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [E7]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
[F]Plenty of room at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Any [Dm]time of year you can [E7]find it here
Verse 5
[Am]Mirrors on the ceiling [E7]the pink champagne on ice
And she said [G]we are all just prisoners here [D]of our own device
[F]And in the master's chambers [C]they gathered for the feast
[Dm]They stab it with their steely knives but they [E7]just can't kill the beast
Verse 6
[Am]Last thing I remember I was [E7]running for the door
[G]I had to find the passage back to the [D]place I was before
[F]Relax said the nightman we are [C]programmed to receive
[Dm]You can check out anytime you like [E7]but you can never leave
Chorus
[F]Welcome to the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
Such a [E7]lovely place such a [Am]lovely face
They [F]livin' it up at the Hotel Cali[C]fornia
What a [Dm]nice surprise bring your [E7]alibis [Am]
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The Story Behind the Song
The song Hotel California by Eagles is one of the most discussed rock songs ever, partly because its meaning was intentionally left.
Henley described it as a journey from innocence to experience. The "Hotel California" is not a literal hotel but a symbolic place where people become trapped by wealth, fame, pleasure, and ambition.
Key Themes
The dark side of the American Dream – Success brings luxury and excitement, but also emptiness and loss of freedom.
Fame and excess – The song reflects the hedonistic culture surrounding the entertainment industry in California during the 1970s.
Being trapped by your choices – The famous line, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave," suggests that once someone becomes part of that lifestyle, it permanently changes them.