Chords
Hotel California

Hotel California is one of the most iconic songs by the Eagles, released in 1976 on the album of the same name. The lyrics, written by Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey, describe a surreal journey to a luxurious hotel that turns out to be a trap from which the visitor cannot escape. The song can be interpreted in several ways but is often seen as a metaphor for the excess and decay of the American dream at the time, as well as a critique of ... the hedonistic lifestyle of California in the 1970s. See more [+]

Key: Bm

Introduction: Am    E7    G    D    F    C    Dm    E7    

Am                                  E7  
  On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
G                              D  
  Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air
F                                    C  
  Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
Dm  
    My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
E7  
  I had to stop for the night
Am                                          E7  
  There she stood in the doorway  I heard the mission bell
G  
  And I was thinking to myself
                  D  
This could be heaven or this could be hell
F                                    C  
  Then she lit up a candle, and she showed me the way
Dm  
    There were voices down the corridor,
E7  
  I thought I heard them say...
 !--Chorus-- 
F                                    C  
  Welcome to the Hotel California.
         E7                                                         Am  
Such a lovely place, (such a lovely place), such a lovely face
F                                          C  
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
     Dm                                                     E7  
Any time of year, (any time of year) You can find it here
 !--Verse-- 
Am                                      E7  
 Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, She got the Mercedes bends
G                                                 D  
 She got a lot of pretty pretty boys    she calls friends
F                                                C  
  How they danced in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat
Dm                                E7  
  Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
Am                                     E7  
  So I called up the captain  Please bring me my wine (he said)
G                                                  D  
 We haven' t had that spirit here since 1969
F                                                        C  
  and still those voices are calling from far away
Dm  
    Wake you up in the middle of the night
E7  
  Just to hear them say...
 !--Chorus-- 
F                                  C  
 Welcome to the Hotel California.
         E7                                                         Am  
Such a lovely place, (such a lovely place), such a lovely face
          F                                        C  
They' re livin'  it up at the Hotel California
         Dm                                                                E7  
What a nice surprise, (what a nice surprise) Bring your alibis
 !--Verse-- 
Am                                 E7  
    Mirrors on the ceiling  the pink champagne on ice (and she said)
G                                            D  
  We are all just prisoners here, of our own device
F                                         C  
  and in the master' s chambers, they gathered for the feast
Dm  
 They stab it with their steely knives but they
E7  
just can' t kill the beast
Am                                        E7  
    Last thing I remember, I was running for the door
G                                                     D  
  I had to find the passage back to the place I was before
F                                                C  
  "Relax" said the night man  we are programmed to receive
Dm  
  You can check out any time you like
E7  
 But you can never leave...
 !--Outro Solo-- 
Am     E7     G     D     F     C     Dm     E7  
 !--Harmonies-- 
Am     E7     G     D     F     C     Dm     E7  
(fade out)