Revisit The Hotel California….
Hotel California
The rumors are out there still.
The song was written about either the devil or a madhouse.
You can’t kill some myths although they’ve been disproved time and again. The lyrics and album cover photo of the Eagles’ signature tune “Hotel California” are some of these. The popular 1970’s song tells the story of a weary traveler who checks into a luxurious, upscale hotel only to discover all may not be as it appears
But because the lyrics to the song contain kind of ominous undercurrent, many have gone to the trouble to find figurative and literal meanings that just aren’t there. Theories abound.
Some persist the song must be written about an actual building (there WAS no ‘Hotel California’) so they assert it was a nickname for the Camarillo State Hospital, a state-run psychiatric hospital near Los Angeles which housed thousands of patients during its sixty year span before closing in 1997.
To them the lyrics seem to fit what a “mentally disturbed” person would experience incarcerated in a long-term care “madhouse”. The imagery of the song is explained as that person’s hallucinations with moments of the startling clarity of knowing where he is. And of course the “stab it with their steely knives” line made the place run by cannibals. Makes sense. If you are insane yourself…
And let’s not even mention, “just can’t kill the beast”.
Because the far more common legend to surface about the song is one that links it to devil worship.
The lyrics of “just can’t kill the beast” and not having “that spirit here since 1969” which is supposedly when California’s church of Satan began.
On the inner album (gatefold) cover there is a photograph where some see a shadowy figure on a balcony with his arms spread. There are those that say it is Anton LaVay, leader of the church of satan, and he is welcoming all the innocents below to the trap. “You can never leave”. So from all this comes:
-The song is a tribute to where the satanic bible was written.
-Devil worshipers bought an old church and named it “The Hotel California”.
-Some or all of the Eagles were either heavily involved with the occult or disciples of LaVay.
-All of the album photographs were taken in and around the building that used to be Lavay’s headquarters for his church of satan (which wan’t the case…the album cover was shot at he Beverly Hills Hilton).
– In California the ‘church of satan is registered under the name ‘Hotel California’.
Ooooooh. Very Scary….
But the truth is, the person in the balcony was a woman hired for the photo shoot.
The song (as well as the album) is allegory about hedonism and greed in Southern California in the 70’s. Period. Especially in the music business.
By the time the record came out the Eagles were riding high. Yes, pun intended. Drugs, money and women were thrown to them with their fame.
Though they definitely enjoyed it all, they decided to pour their sense of unease into the record. ‘Hotel California’ is a metaphor for the 70’s, the music industry and the “accidental” prison freely entered only to realize the trap.
But if you go on the internet there are still those out there that are convinced that this is a “devil” song. There are also full websites concluding that Paul McCartney has been dead since 1966 and Elvis is still alive.
Have any musical urban legends?
The Black Jacket Blog 
Musical urban legends? I’ve heard a number of people INSIST that Justin Bieber is talented. Doesn’t get much stranger than that.
Or do you mean like the ones that claim that John Lennon, Janis Joplin, Jeff Lynne, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison (among others) were in actuality space aliens who were sent to usher in an age of peace and love prior to a great influx of visitors from outer space. I mean, after all, their names ALL start with ‘J’. right J? Ummm, just forget I said anything, J! Nevermind!
May 17, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Reblogged this on The Black Jacket Blog.
October 11, 2012 at 2:42 pm
http://hotelcaliforniabaja.com/press/HC_History.html
January 30, 2013 at 3:57 am
The iconic cover photo of the album is of the Beverly Hills Hotel (not the Beverly Hilton), but the interior shot of the lobby was actually taken at the old Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has since been remodeled. Henley later recalled the band’s crew rounded up a variety of people from the neighborhood that captured the essence of that undercurrent of excess—the lust for it and the price eventually paid. Along with Sgt. Pepper, the album art for Hotel California captured the era as seamlessly and potently as the music.
June 19, 2013 at 2:19 am
Why is there a ghost head at the bottom end of the balcony near the ghost that is visible?
November 9, 2020 at 10:31 pm
Based on personal experience, I think that there IS a connection between the lyrics to “Hotel California” and the Church of Satan, but this has nothing to do with “Satanic messages” or what is or isn’t on the cover of the album. I have direct, personal experience that leads me to believe that the song refers to the actual, physical location of the Church of Satan and its occupants, Diane & Anton LaVey.
I was a close friend of Anton LaVey, the founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan, from 1978 until around 1990. We remained in contact until his death in 1997. While he never said that any of the band members were Satanists, he DID suggest that the song WAS about him, but then LaVey was always prone to self-promotion. Whatever the case, the song DOES seem to contain references to LaVey that are obvious to anyone who knew him and visited his home. Based on knowing and socializing with Anton LaVey, here’s what I hear when I hear the song.
——————————————–
“Hotel California”
<>
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
<>
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
<>
I heard the mission bell
<>
And I was thinking to myself,
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
<>
There were voices down the corridor,
<>
I thought I heard them say…
(Chorus)
Welcome to the Hotel California
<>
Such a lovely place
<>
Such a lovely face
<>
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
<>
Any time of year, you can find it here
<>
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz
<>
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
<>
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
<>
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
<>
So I called up the captain, please bring me my wine
<>
He said, we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine
<>
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the Hotel California
<>
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis
<>
Mirrors on the ceiling,
<>
The pink champagne on ice
<>
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
<>
And in the masters chambers,
<>
They gathered for the feast
<>
They stab it with their steely knives,
<>
But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
<>
“Relax,” said the night man,
“We are programmed to receive.”
<>
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!
<>
So, there you have it. When I listen to it, “Hotel California” seems FULL of phrases and images that don’t make much sense EXCEPT in reference to Anton LaVey and his unique house. Not a “Satanic message”, but a simple description of a visit to LaVey’s house. But who knows…
Don Frew
BTW… I keep reading that the headquarters of the Church of Satan (not “Satanist Church” or “First Satanic Church”) was in a former church building. This is NOT true! LaVey\’s home / CoS headquarters was in a Queen Anne style Victorian house in San Francisco on California St., between the Sea Cliff and Little Russia neighborhoods. He said that it had once been a brothel (so, sort of a “hotel”) owned by a “student” of Mammy Pleasant and that the many secret passages in the house allowed “johns” to escape during police raids. LaVey painted the house all black and installed a tall chain-link fence out front with barbed wire at the top, to keep out both enthusiastic looky-loos and angry Christian protesters. He said that the machine that generated lightning in the ritual chamber for the “Die elektrischen Vorspiele” ceremony could also electrify the fence, but I never saw that. There was a small courtyard at the back where LaVey kept his lion -Togare – but the courtyard was too small, the lion roared too much, the neighbors\’ complaints were too numerous, and the authorities said Togare had to go. Togare ended up at Tippi Hedren\’s Shambhala preserve for big cats. Hedren (of “The Birds” fame) renamed him “Neal”.
January 5, 2022 at 10:14 pm
Wow! After posting, I discovered that the text I had between between carrots would not appear in the blog. I apologize for the confusion. Trying again…
Based on personal experience, I think that there IS a connection between the lyrics to “Hotel California” and the Church of Satan, but this has nothing to do with “Satanic messages” or what is or isn’t on the cover of the album. I have direct, personal experience that leads me to believe that the song refers to the actual, physical location of the Church of Satan and its occupants, Diane & Anton LaVey.
I was a close friend of Anton LaVey, the founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan, from 1978 until around 1990. We remained in contact until his death in 1997. While he never said that any of the band members were Satanists, he DID suggest that the song WAS about him, but then LaVey was always prone to self-promotion. Whatever the case, the song DOES seem to contain references to LaVey that are obvious to anyone who knew him and visited his home. Based on knowing and socializing with Anton LaVey, here’s what I hear when I hear the song.
——————————————–
“Hotel California”
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
DON: Guests at Anton’s house at the time were always greeted by his wife, Diane.
I heard the mission bell
DON: You could hear a church bell from Anton’s house. I don’t know if it was from the Mission or not.
And I was thinking to myself,
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
DON: There were no electric lights in the long entry hall of Anton’s house, only a candelabrum.
There were voices down the corridor,
DON: From the long, dark entry hall, you could hear voices from the receiving room. This was a deliberate ploy by Anton to unsettle visitors.
I thought I heard them say…
(Chorus)
Welcome to the Hotel California
DON: Anton’s house (and the temple of the Church of Satan) was on California St. in San Francisco. It was once a brothel, kind of a “hotel”.
Such a lovely place
DON: Anton’s house was an old Queen Anne style building and quite lovely, except for it being painted all black.
Such a lovely face
DON: Diane LaVey was a beautiful blonde, reminiscent of Debbie Harry of the band Blondie.
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
DON: Anton’s house had many unused rooms and secret passages.
Any time of year, you can find it here
DON: Anton owned the house for decades and didn’t move, and he rarely traveled.
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz
DON: Diane liked Tiffany lamps and drove a black Mercedes Benz.
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
DON: Diane often had a bevy of pretty, young men around her as hangers-on.
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
DON: Anton’s house had a small court in the back, but it was too small for group dancing. However, the Church did perform outdoor rituals that involved nude dancing.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
DON: Anton’s liturgical manual included rituals for remembering our true animal natures and for disconnecting ourselves from and leaving behind false attachments to the Christian Church.
So I called up the captain, please bring me my wine
DON: Anton had a manservant / bodyguard named “Tony” who had served in the military in some capacity that was not to be discussed.
He said, we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine
DON: I’m not sure what this might mean, but The Satanic Bible was published in 1969.
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the Hotel California
DON: Anton’s neighbors complained to the police about the noise coming from the Church at odd hours.
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis
DON: Most of the inner members of the Church were secret members and had to deny their membership to outsiders. Many were referred to in Church documents only by code numbers.
Mirrors on the ceiling,
DON: Anton’s bedroom had a mirror on the ceiling.
The pink champagne on ice
DON: Anton & Diane loved pink champagne, as did former member Jayne Mansfield.
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
DON: Anton once told me that he felt trapped in the persona of the “Black Pope” that he had created for himself.
And in the masters chambers,
DON: Anton’s underlings (like Tony) and students (but not me) always called him “the Master”.
They gathered for the feast
DON: Anton would host Church social events called “feasts”.
They stab it with their steely knives,
DON: Anton’s study — or “Master’s chamber” — was a room with red walls covered with his collection of ritual blades from around the world. It was called “the knife room”.
But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax,” said the night man,
“We are programmed to receive.”
DON: Anton’s sub-basement contained a replica of a 1940’s bar populated by mechanical androids programmed to do simple functions, like pour drinks or masturbate in a corner.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!
DON: Anton once told me that, as far as he was concerned, once someone was a member of the Church, they were a member for life unless they specifically resigned. In the history of the Church, only about 30 people had done so.
So, there you have it. When I listen to it, “Hotel California” seems FULL of phrases and images that don’t make much sense EXCEPT in reference to Anton LaVey and his unique house. Not a “Satanic message”, but a simple description of a visit to LaVey’s house. But who knows…
Don Frew
BTW… I keep reading that the headquarters of the Church of Satan (not “Satanist Church” or “First Satanic Church”) was in a former church building. This is NOT true! LaVey\’s home / CoS headquarters was in a Queen Anne style Victorian house in San Francisco on California St., between the Sea Cliff and Little Russia neighborhoods. He said that it had once been a brothel (so, sort of a “hotel”) owned by a “student” of Mammy Pleasant and that the many secret passages in the house allowed “johns” to escape during police raids. LaVey painted the house all black and installed a tall chain-link fence out front with barbed wire at the top, to keep out both enthusiastic looky-loos and angry Christian protesters. He said that the machine that generated lightning in the ritual chamber for the “Die elektrischen Vorspiele” ceremony could also electrify the fence, but I never saw that. There was a small courtyard at the back where LaVey kept his lion -Togare – but the courtyard was too small, the lion roared too much, the neighbors\’ complaints were too numerous, and the authorities said Togare had to go. Togare ended up at Tippi Hedren\’s Shambhala preserve for big cats. Hedren (of “The Birds” fame) renamed him “Neal”.
January 16, 2022 at 5:00 am