From: tef@sei.cmu.edu (Tracey Fox)
Subject: Re: Is "Hotel California" evil?
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 12:43:17 EST


In article <1993Jan5.143250.17698@cbnews.cb.att.com>, ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:

|> 
|> 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.
|> 

I agree. I think alot of this depends on how the artist purposes the song from
his/her heart and what relationship that artist is with the Lord.  Also I
think a distinction should be made between music and lyrics.  Music can have
positive or negative affects individually and collectively, and lyrics can
have negative or positive connotations.  When the two are combined there are a
multitude of issues at hand which eventually get worked out within each person
(and that does not necessarily mean a happy ending either as stated by parents
who feel some rock/heavy metal/etc. music had some responsibility with the
death of their teenagers, as gets reported on the news from time to time.)

Can music sung to the Lord's glory hurt you?  You may not like the style of
music or the artist performing but it's not going to hurt you, if anything you
will benefit and the Lord's good name gets praised! Can music itself or music
sung by a satanist hurt you?  I believe it may or may not have devastating
affects (depending on the individual and circumstances in that person's life),
but for believers contemplating this issue, the WORD promises that NOTHING can
separate you from the love of God which you have in Christ Jesus! That's
because Jesus HAS paid the price for mankind's sin at Calvary.  OH...THANK YOU
LORD FOR THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST!  And when one truly repents from
their sin that person is sealed with the Holy Spirit, and Jesus promises that
no man can take you from the Father.  We are his children, his sheep, who
hears his voice.  And as believers, we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and
the word of our testimonies! 

I truly feel sorry for those who truly don't have the Lord on their sides to
have this same blessed assurance!  That's why we need to keep supporting the
Lord's musicians and pray for those who are lost!








From: rhm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Miller)
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 17:55:39 GMT
Subject: Re: Top 40 CCM albums of 1992
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA