From: ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
Subject: Re: Is "Hotel California" evil?
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 14:32:50 GMT

In article <79082@hydra.gatech.EDU> vapspwi@prism.gatech.EDU (Jerry B. Ray, Jr.) writes:
>In article <1993Jan5.014711.13957@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> jlaplant@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (John R Laplante) writes:
>>
>>yep, a genuinely musical question.
>>My wife had the local radio station on - the one for middle-aged white men
>>(why SHE likes it, I don't know), and they had a program on the music of
>>the Eagles. I've liked some of their songs, but I always got a bit of a
>>creepy feeling when I hear "hotel california." now, i'm not one always 
>>looking for demons, but is this song demonic in some way? I asked this to
>>a friend and he mentioned something about Anton LeVay. Who's that? 
>>Any opinions on "Hotel California"?
>
>
>Well, here's my $0.02.  I've heard that H.C. was evil for a long time, 
>primarily from those 'evil beat' type videos.  The evidence is that 
>
>1)  Anton LeVay, reknowned Satanist (maybe founder of the 'religion'?), 
>	or a reasonable facsimilie (sp?) thereof, is standing in the
>	window of the hotel on the album cover.
>
>2)  The year 1969 ('we haven't had that spirit here since 1969') was of
>	some importance to the Satanic church.  Perhaps the dedication of
>	the satanic church in San Francisco, or something like that.
>
>3)  'I could hear the mission bell'  The satanic church in S.F. is supposed
>	to be within earshot of a Christian mission hall or something.
>
>4)  'Just can't kill the beast,'  'You can check out any time you like
>	but you can never leave,'  other lyrics that can be taken in
>	a Satanic sense.
>
>I don't think there's any backmasking or anything of that sort.  It's basically
>an interpretive thing.
>
>I personally love the song, and i always took it as a metaphor for drug abuse
>(like Life in the Fast Lane).  I have no problem with it, though others 
>might.  Any comments, anyone?  

Don Henley, who wrote and sang the song, has always been reticent about
what it means.  As Jerry noted above, it certainly contains a number of
references to Satan and Satanic activity.  Does that make it demonic?
I guess it depends on whether you think the lyrics are supporting
or warning against Satanic views.  My own opinion is that the lyrics
leave little doubt that Henley is expressing a quite unflattering
view of the Hotel California, whatever the hotel actually means.  It 
doesn't sound like any place that I'd like to hang out.  There are
just too many images of entrapment and imprisonment - "we are all just
prisoners here of our own device," "you can check out any time you
like but you can never leave" - for me to view this song as anything
other than a cautionary tale.  It may be a warning against Satanism, 
drug abuse, the lifestyle of rock stars, or just living in L.A.  In any 
event, it doesn't sound like something that would come from the Chamber 
of Commerce.

Just as a sidelight, I once taught a high school English class using
a texbook that contained the lyrics to both "Hotel California" and
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" as part of the "poetry" section.
Did I teach the lyrics?  Nope.  Not because they were Satanic, but
because they weren't very good poetry.

>JRjr
>-- 
>'What did you say, what did you do, when they asked ya, who are you?
> Did you tell 'em who you know?  Did you hear that rooster crow?  How will
> you answer?  Where will you go?  Have you heard that rooster crow?' - REZ
>#####  vapspwi@prism.gatech.EDU  ########  Jerry B. Ray, Jr.  ################

"Don Henley must die"
  -- Mojo Nixon

Andy Whitman
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
att!cblpn!ajw  or
ajw@cblpn.att.com