@@nancyarrington5415 I'm going to speak on a pet peeve here. People seem to forget that not everyone grew up in the same environment. You listen to what the people around you are listening to. People also seem to believe that random nobodies on UA-cam are some of the best actors on the planet. They aren't. I'm sure some are faking it. Most don't have enough talent to even try.
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw this. This song came out waaaay before I was born but still I know this song and almost perfected the lyrics 😂 honestly it's hard to believe that there are people who haven't heard this song. Like the Bohemian Rhapsody, tho I admit I haven't known it's what it's called until the movie came out but I know the song itself very well
@@mojmov6128 - no it isn't. The Eagles say t's a song that chronicles the culture of excess, wealth, decadence, and self-destruction in the Southern California cultural milieu of the mid-1970s. In a 2007 interview with 60 Minutes, Don Henley described "Hotel California" as "a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about."
The joy of watching someone hear this for the first time can almost make me cry... I’m telling you brah, this is what growing up in the 70’s was all about, incredible music by a thousand artists that was all different and from all genres all melded together.... top 10 lists were always diverse and mixed. It wasn’t about who looks cooler, half the time you didn’t know what the artist looked like. I miss the honesty.
...and the other half of the time, they either dressed in jeans and comfy shirts, or were dolled up to fantastical heights like Elton John or the funkmeisters with their elaborate sparkly costumes!
The Eagle's...damn....just one of my favorite bands from when I was in High school and college in the 1970's. In our house...4 guys and my little sister...we had every single LP of The Eagles. Which wasn't unusual for us...between the 4 of us...we had well over 500 LP's. We each had our own stereo system's...
The hotel lures you in with all its vices ~ women, alcohol, drugs, etc and at first it's great. But when you've had enough and it wears on you, you can't get out. It holds you there.
@@littleogeechee223 It is exactly this. In the Netherlands we have a radio station that plays the (listener voted) top 2000 starting on Christmas, with the number 1 played at old years eve right before midnight. Within that week there is also a show ''top 2000 a gogo'' were they have a section ''the story behind....'' in which there is a small interview with Joe Walsh (one of the guitarists of the band) who explains that Hotel California is indeed about the L.A. Lifestyle. Not just hollywood but also the music and I suppose ''fame'' scene in general.
How about hearing the long version of Hotel California in person in the front row? Surreal experience, felt like being in a dream you never wanted to wake up from!!!!
Best song to sing to at night on a dark lonely road. Everyone from the 70's -80's knows the lyrics. The guitars were as much the 'voice' of the song as the singing was.
Just imagine how much shocked he'll be in when he finds out the drummer is the lead singer on this. I pity this generation. This song was a lot of real work, no electronic device community. You actually had to get together to put a song together. Very few were done independent of any band members. Don Henley is 70, and still sounds just has good as when this was recorded.
I grew up on Eagles songs!! I just can't imagine someone not ever hearing it!! I'm glad enjoyed it!! One of the best bands ever!! I love ALL their songs!!
A lot of this Music like Pop Rock Music was never Marketed to the Black Communities around the country so it was never heard until the 80's MTV days. But "Black" Radio Stations never played this stuff.
@@Khaliqri i love these reaction vidoes and sometimes i wondered why these black kids have no clue who some of these bands are, makes sense about it not being played where they were going to hear it.
I grew up listening to this too. It surprises me that so many people haven't heard what I have listened to forever...but there's a lot of 🎶 most havent heard. So much good stuff...hard to sort it out.
Ahhh...you picked a classic by The Eagles. I saw an interview, not too long ago, with the lead singer, and drummer, Don Henley, who said that the meaning of the song was that, for good or bad, there is no going back once you've experience something. Whether it was pleasant, or very unpleasant, you can't erase what's been seen, heard, felt, and experienced. It's really a cautionary tale; to be very careful of what we allow ourselves to be exposed to.
I've begun writing Gospel music in my old age (66), and have acquired a very dear friend who used to play with The Eagles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, etc. His name is Jimmy Jack Whitaker and he mostly produces Gospel music now. He also has The JImmy Jack Foundation and supplies musical instruments to kids who want to play an instrument but cannot afford one. We were privileged enough to help a young lady receive an instrument from Jimmy Jack a couple of years ago. Most of the instruments he gives out are ones in good shape which have been donated. Hubby and I both LOVE what you are doing and love your reaction to some of the oldie but goodies.
tacbear it’s about fame and Hollywood,selling soul and shit like that, Once you enter the life of fame, you never go back to being a normal nobody, hence “you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave”
Love this song that helped shape Rock and Roll! According the the Eagles, it is about the ugly side of American culture. It was about too much sex, drugs, money, and how wanting all that and revelling in it hurts us all. These were good midwestern kids who went to California and saw the ugly underbelly of excess. Of course growing up, I just thought it was about drugs. Great reaction, thanks!
Lolli Nelson I have always thought it was about someone who is wrapped in nostalgia for the 60's San Francisco dream but trapped in its decadent, corrupted legacy. "We havn't had that spirit here since 1969". Which is similar to what you said.
The story I always heard was Felder and Walsh recorded the ending guitars. Henley listened to it and told them to do it again, it could be better. So Felder and Walsh sat and smoked a joint and waited. Henley came back later, listened to the same recording as before and loved it. Don't know if this is true, just the story I always heard.
One of the best ever. I particularly love the drumming; so inventive; missing beats when you would expect there to be a beat; brilliant. Absolute classic. The acoustic version is wonderful as well.
One of my favorite Eagles song. I've a fan fan since 2013. I knew about them in 1994, but was since closet fan for a long time. I'm an African American and when I first found the Eagles in 1994, my mother wouldn't let go to their concerts. Heck any concerts that wasn't black. She was very strict on that. Now i go to concerts and I've seen the Eagles in concert for the first time last year. Like other people said. The drummer is actually the lead singer of this song. You don't have that many bands where the drummer is the lead or co-lead singer of most of their hits. You can count on your hand where the drummer is the lead singer. There should be a video (if its not gone) of Don singing and drummer at the same time. He sang most of their hits along with the late Glenn Frey, but the whole band sing lead. Not just one person. Its just Don and Glenn sang majority of their hit songs, but two other songs that wasn't sang by Don and Glenn that were hits. What i like about the Eagles is his harmonies. They have great harmonies. You should listen to more songs by them. They are a band and still very popular almost 50 years later.
If “Desperado” and “One Of These Nights” were part of the soundtrack of your youth, it may come as no surprise that the Eagles’ greatest hits album has toppled Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the best-selling album of all time in the U.S. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as having sold 38 million copies since it was released in 1976. Thriller, which allowed the King of Pop to reign at the top for 30 years, is now in second place with 33 million sold. The Eagles have third place, too, with Hotel California, also released in 1976 and certified at 26 million copies sold. The figures include record sales and digital streams certified by the RIAA. Topping this particular chart in the age of digital music downloads and online streaming is yet another achievement for the iconic band, which has sold 150 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. “Congratulations to the Eagles, who now claim the jaw-dropping feat of writing and recording two of the top three albums in music history,” said Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO of RIAA.
Saw them on the Hell Freezes Over tour, no opening act, and this was the first song, just BOOM! Blew us away, 30,000 people sang every word to every song that night, lol, it was awesome.
I love the Eagles and this is my favorite song by them! Don Henley's voice is amazing and the guitars and drums and so extraordinary! This song never gets old! The GOAT! 💖💖
Whose up lol? This video was blocked for 3 days and knowing WMG it'll be blocked again. Enjoy this while it lasts because it's gonna be blocked for copyright again
You gotta watch this live. Mind. Blown! Also driving along. Full blast on the music system, playing air drums! Also the drummer is the singer lol. Again - watching it live was heaven!
You might like: The Steve Miller Band, "Fly Like an Eagle" or "Wintertime". Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear the Reaper" These are songs from around the same time as "Hotel California" & sound really good with headphones
BOC... very underrated. Love Steve Miller also. Very good taste in music. Burnin' For You and Jet Airliner( the FULL version) are two of my favorites from those two, respectively.
to quote Don Henley, 'there are a lot of really crazy theories about the meaning of this song. I'll just say it's about a 'loss of innocence'" So, put that into context of what they were doing (recreationally) at the time, This was the beginning of the really big cocaine boom, primarily starting in California, and all of them were incredibly into it. Glenn Frey tells a story about speeding down the freeway at about 95 with a friend, and the trunk was basically filled with coke. Frey tells his friend to sloe down because the last thing they need is to get pulled over. Friend simply replied "life in the fast lane" which also became the title of another song on the Hotel California album. So, without getting too specific about what I read into Hotel California, I think it's primarily a metaphor for getting sucked into the California lifestyle at the time, with all its high life and addictions. So in that vein a few of the lines take on a different meaning. "Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" - both very basic reasons for people getting constantly high. "Stab it with their steely knives but just can kill the beast". Cutting up lines of coke and heroin, but as they say "you just can never catch the dragon". "Bring me my wine, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" - people don't drink to get high any more...it's all about the drugs now. "We're programmed to receive, you can check out any time you like but you can never leave."...almost self-explanatory in the lifestyle context.
This is one of those classics with a big message. I've often used "...you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" as good heedance - might as well say "scared straight".
These guys were royally into "perfection" in their music! You can really tell by listening to any of their songs! The thing to do is, get the album on the platter, turn off all the lights, and LAY DOWN...AND LISTEN ! It's a trip...
I would have to say they rivaled bands like Queen and Rush in musicianship. Top notch stuff. All 3 of them are perfectionists, and it shows in their music.
This is one of the greatest songs ever, great reaction and yes the solo is one of the all time greats. Its worth seeking out the live video and watch those guitarists duel.
What's even harder to believe was the animosity between the group on who gets to shine on stage lots of arguing yet they worked it out and made it work. True professionals!!
You can litterally hear the battle of Good vs Evil in this Guitar Solo between Don Felder and Joe Walsh in this song and Video. What a Great song and Guitar Mastery this tune turned out. I am forever greateful to have lived and heard this song so many times in my life.
Yep. Anything from their Rumours album. I still listen to this album after about 30 years. Good music does not age. It grows in depth as you yourself do.
prolly one of the best guitar duo solos ever and when they all get on same page with guitar,, bass, and drums at the end it makes your mind melt. like these dudes are reading each other's minds!
I'm watching him and when he says, "Let me pause this here. Did you hear that guitar?" And I'm thinking . . . just wait about another 90 seconds or so, buddy.
@@JayveeTV it will be, too, those beetches! Even if you don't do a react, i recommend giving it a listen, tho. Very smooth, and i am not a huge Eagles fan at all. One you could try for a react that no one has done yet, that i've noticed, is "Deacon Blue" by Steely Dan.
This is the title song from the original album which was a huge hit on the album chart and spawned three other top 10 hits. This song, New Kid In Town and Life In The Fast Lane all hit #1 on the singles chart. The song Lyin' Eyes hit #2! They have other great songs and were one of the biggest selling groups of the 70's.
The Eagles...one of the best bands! Hit after hit..then successful solo careers followed. Such talents artist. Just proves, 70’s Rock Rules. This song, one of the best guitar solos! One of my favorite members, Joe Walsh. Please react to his Rocky Mountain Way. Live version.
This song holds en eerily special place in my heart. Back in '00 - '01, i lived and worked at Lake San Antonio Resorts in Monterey County, CA, workin' the general store. A lot evenings would be pretty quiet and I was often the only person after 8pm till we closed at 10pm - employees or customers. Many, many nights, the jukebox in the arcade would just come on at random, and it was always this song. I'd be in my office readin' a book or moppin' the floor and nearly shit myself when the intro would start blarin' outta nowhere! Got me everytime, but love it, none the less!
Haha that is where I spent many nights with friends drinking and listening to exactly this song, I think this is a common tale from any teen\young adult from salinas and south county in the 90s. I'd be freaked out if I were in your situation though, just randomly playing on juke box with noone around, good on you for sticking around for however long you did in that job, I'd be out of there quick af
@@metalmonkey6262 I was there for a little over a year. My cousins, Brian & Jen, were hired to run LSAR from April '00 till the end of '03. I ran w/ the marina crew, Ty & Jason and others. We may have crossed paths.
@@Axeman517, the term "Mercedes bends" is correct. In an interview, Don Henley explained that the woman in the song is so detached from reality that she is literally sick.
You must watch the live original version…. Back in the day.. when they first released it. Lead singer was also the drummer!! The guitars 🎸 there at the end were dueling.. yep there were a few of them.. Joe Walsh Elec Guitar 🎸is 🔥
I've never heard that ! And I've been listening to these guy's since there first album, the only story about this song that I've heard for ever is that it was about a rehab house... "we are all just prisoners here of our own device". Great reaction tons of music by the Eagles, try witchy woman one of their first big hits...♡
Nope it's about addiction, "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" and addiction is "programmed to receive" so to speak pulling you in to be an addict. But it's not JUST drug addiction it's addiction in general, so addiction to materialism and excess (including drugs, alcohol and a fast lifestyle) this is what Don Henley (one of the writers) said in a rolling stone magazine article.
No. It's about the entertainment industry and how once you sign that contract they own you and about the drug and sex and hedonistic lifestyle that goes along with it. "you can check out anytime but you can never leave". The only way you can leave is in a body bag.
So I was introduced to the Eagles when they got back together and did their Hell Freezes Over tour. During that time Don Henley(the lead singer) was in front just singing and playing maracas or a tambourine but in the 70’s he was actually the drummer AND lead singer which I’ve not seen before in any other band. Truly a legendary band!
Don Henley vocals. (He could sing the phone book, but he and Glenn weren't the best "bandmates", running off and shafting their "friends".) Don Felder came up with the music and he and Joe Walsh are the twin leads on that epic solo. Hotel put a capstone on an epic band's catalog.
Love this song ,like most people not entirely sure what it's a bout. Try Eagles lying eyes ,about a younger woman marrying an older man for his money , great song ,good luck from Liverpool uk x
I truly appreciate young folks listening to the great music from our era. Make me proud to be a 60s baby growing up listening to all of those amazing real artist that can play instruments and really sing !!!
You have a great sensitivity to music, watching u listening to Hotel California.. I haven’t smiled like that in ages! Loved watching you experience what us old folks have loved for years.. fab job keep discovering!!
You make me happy No one figured it out But I always think it’s about being trapped within your own mind. “You can check out any time you want but you can never leave.”
Love this song🧡 Need to look up some live Eagles. Don’t try to hard to figure it out. It has diff meanings for diff people. They have a big line up of guitars. They were the first country rock bands. Try Take it easy & Love will keep us alive sung by the bass player Timothy b Schmidt. They had 4 singers that could sing lead. 🔥
Just found your channel a couple nights ago and here I sit, a 69yr old white grandma and I have never been one to listen to the old songs from my youth, I'm not one for nostalgia, but I'm really enjoying your delight in these old songs. And *this* one, lol, delicious decadence and depravity. I would be there's been at least one PhD dissertation on what this one means. Thanks for sharing!
There are a hell of a lot interpretations about that song, ranging from being about drugs and rehab to it‘s about the American Dream and how it falls apart once you take a closer look at it. I always kind of thought it’s about death or a near death experience. My mum thinks it’s about a man trapped in a time loop. My bf once joked it’s just a really weird yelp review 😂
I always felt it was about a sex cult/blackmailing ring in Hollywood and been a slave to the beast or maybe a trip to Bohemian grove lol or maybe a trip on DMT 😂
The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 1 was certified as the most sold album of the 20th century, beating out Thriller by MJ. The lead singer in this song is the drummer, Don Henley. He co-wrote almost every song with rhythm guitar player Glenn Frey, who unfortunately passed away from intestinal issues in January 2016. Randy Meisner plays bass (pronounced base). This song is especially known for the long guitar solos at the end because the studio thought that it was too long. It’s actually 2 guitarists battling with and against each other named Don Felder & Joe Walsh. They are still playing today. Sometimes Glenn’s son, Deacon, plays with them. They own & manage all of their publishing rights, so I am sure that a lot of their songs will be blocked. Please try anyway. “One of these nights” sung by Henley ua-cam.com/video/bZGfRq-uAEo/v-deo.html or “Take it easy” sung by Frey, ua-cam.com/video/imtl12PTbb4/v-deo.html “Take it to the limit” sung by Meisner ua-cam.com/video/UJ2_HttFkkc/v-deo.html or “I can’t tell you why” sung by Timothy Schmidt, who replaced Randy on bass when he left the band. ua-cam.com/video/s0R4PPk3k24/v-deo.html
*Correction, The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 1 has outsold Thriller ONLY IN THE U.S.A. This is not anything new, The Eagles had the #1 spot IN THE U.S.A before Michael Jackson died, then Thriller and now Eagles again, they've been battling for years in THE U.S.A. with that being said, Thriller is still the best selling worldwide and not being rude, just stating facts.
GTA5 70s Music Ok. If you say so. The documentary “History of the Eagles” from 2013 has their manager Irving Azoff showing off the plaque that he was given for the most sales in the 20th century. It’s available to watch if you have Stingray Qello.
GTA5 70s Music Excuse me!!! I forgot to say in the US, but it’s true when I said 20th century. MJ went past the record after he died in the 21st century. From Wikipedia: . It was the best-selling album of the 20th century in the United States, and it stayed the best-selling album in the U.S. for some years until it was surpassed by Michael Jackson's Thriller after the artist's death in 2009.[1] In August 2018, it regained the title of the U.S.'s biggest-selling album, with a 38× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. Now, leave me alone and get a life. I have baseball to watch.
@@heyjude1920 ok but you can't forget to add U.S. next time, you can't just be handing out false information, people think the U.S. is the only country when it comes to music, like theres not other countries out there or something.
You should watch them do this live even if you can't show it on your channel. That's the drummer Don Henley singing. And that's Don Felder and Joe Walsh doing the dueling guitar solos at the end.
I had the same reaction the first time I heard Don Henley's "Taking You Home". His lyrics are expressive and his voice is unique if a bit "strained" sounding, like he's on the verge of tears.
So cool that you found this song! It’s been around for 40+years! Eagles were one of the primary bands that shaped the rock sound at that time . It’s about the pitfalls of excess in the US, LA in particular. The story starts out with a guy driving towards LA through the California desert. Crazy great song!
hard to belive that there are people who havent heard this song
I know right,,, I have heard it 900 times , I still love it.!
I don't believe he never heard it
@@nancyarrington5415 must have been born under a rock after grunge. My kids crank this album all the time, and they were born in the 80's.
@@nancyarrington5415 I'm going to speak on a pet peeve here. People seem to forget that not everyone grew up in the same environment. You listen to what the people around you are listening to. People also seem to believe that random nobodies on UA-cam are some of the best actors on the planet. They aren't. I'm sure some are faking it. Most don't have enough talent to even try.
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw this. This song came out waaaay before I was born but still I know this song and almost perfected the lyrics 😂 honestly it's hard to believe that there are people who haven't heard this song. Like the Bohemian Rhapsody, tho I admit I haven't known it's what it's called until the movie came out but I know the song itself very well
It's weird watching someone just discover a band or song that I've been listening to since I was a kid 40 years ago.
I know it's amazing watching them. My kids 21 and 28 grew up listening to them... I am 56
M C I was just thinking the same thing!!
Kitkat me too good to see them see how good music was
Its great to get the greats rediscovered!
Yes, same here. I always wonder. WHAT ? Have they not heard that song before ?
This must be one of the things we discover, when we get old(er).
"You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave". The best line of the whole song..
'some dance to remember.... some dance.. to forget' is also a good contender
It's about rape
First Last nahhh
@@mojmov6128 - no it isn't. The Eagles say t's a song that chronicles the culture of excess, wealth, decadence, and self-destruction in the Southern California cultural milieu of the mid-1970s. In a 2007 interview with 60 Minutes, Don Henley described "Hotel California" as "a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about."
Once on heroin, always on.....
The joy of watching someone hear this for the first time can almost make me cry... I’m telling you brah, this is what growing up in the 70’s was all about, incredible music by a thousand artists that was all different and from all genres all melded together.... top 10 lists were always diverse and mixed. It wasn’t about who looks cooler, half the time you didn’t know what the artist looked like. I miss the honesty.
...and the other half of the time, they either dressed in jeans and comfy shirts, or were dolled up to fantastical heights like Elton John or the funkmeisters with their elaborate sparkly costumes!
I'm feeling the same. It's making me teary watching him and getting chills with the music at the same time! Born in the 60s and grew up with this.
so true
Yep too much music today is overproduced and underperformed. Very little heart or soul.
So agree. Half the time you didnt see the bands unless on top of the pops . MTV came out in the eighties so the sing carried all the way
If you grew up in the 70 s and you didn’t know every single word of this song you didn’t have a proper teen experience 😊
Amen
You could wake me from a drugged sleep and I could sing every word. There are just those songs. Stairway to Heaven, American Pie, etc.
You had no choice, always being played on the radio. Good times
The Eagle's...damn....just one of my favorite bands from when I was in High school and college in the 1970's. In our house...4 guys and my little sister...we had every single LP of The Eagles. Which wasn't unusual for us...between the 4 of us...we had well over 500 LP's. We each had our own stereo system's...
lol! So right! I still know the words :-D
The hotel lures you in with all its vices ~ women, alcohol, drugs, etc and at first it's great. But when you've had enough and it wears on you, you can't get out. It holds you there.
It's the nightmare of your errors
As does the allure and entrapment of Hollywood...
@@elizabethhouseholder4769 yeah, exactly, I always thought Hotel California was a metaphor for Hollywood and just that L.A. lifestyle...
@@littleogeechee223 It is exactly this. In the Netherlands we have a radio station that plays the (listener voted) top 2000 starting on Christmas, with the number 1 played at old years eve right before midnight. Within that week there is also a show ''top 2000 a gogo'' were they have a section ''the story behind....'' in which there is a small interview with Joe Walsh (one of the guitarists of the band) who explains that Hotel California is indeed about the L.A. Lifestyle. Not just hollywood but also the music and I suppose ''fame'' scene in general.
AV, I agree!
“I’m still trying to figure out what this songs about.”
So is the rest of the world
www.songfacts.com/facts/eagles/hotel-california
Those who have ears let them hear
The Hotel California T H C Play again and listen to the metaphers!
It’s about hell and the beast!
@@1U7S7A6 Being from that era and being in this music, this song is about drug abuse...steely knives.
Imagine hearing those dueling guitars for the first time.
I remember exactly whe I hear it the first time
How about hearing the long version of Hotel California in person in the front row? Surreal experience, felt like being in a dream you never wanted to wake up from!!!!
The first time I heard it I think I was speechless for days.
Best song to sing to at night on a dark lonely road. Everyone from the 70's -80's knows the lyrics. The guitars were as much the 'voice' of the song as the singing was.
Just imagine how much shocked he'll be in when he finds out the drummer is the lead singer on this. I pity this generation. This song was a lot of real work, no electronic device community. You actually had to get together to put a song together. Very few were done independent of any band members. Don Henley is 70, and still sounds just has good as when this was recorded.
Yes, but look how much he is appreciating all these songs. You can tell that he doesnt want these generations of music to end either.
Thundertrain indeed. The best of the best.
Back when "singers" were willing to take their lumps about the quality of their voices, and not hide behind electronic fakery.
Don Henley was one of two drummers who were in Eagles.
Don wasn't singing on this recording...
I grew up on Eagles songs!! I just can't imagine someone not ever hearing it!! I'm glad enjoyed it!! One of the best bands ever!! I love ALL their songs!!
A lot of this Music like Pop Rock Music was never Marketed to the Black Communities around the country so it was never heard until the 80's MTV days. But "Black" Radio Stations never played this stuff.
@@Khaliqri i love these reaction vidoes and sometimes i wondered why these black kids have no clue who some of these bands are, makes sense about it not being played where they were going to hear it.
I have heard it way too many times...
I grew up listening to this too. It surprises me that so many people haven't heard what I have listened to forever...but there's a lot of 🎶 most havent heard. So much good stuff...hard to sort it out.
I love them till they sold out to Miami Vice.
I really like that these younger guys listen to the older songs ....so awesome...
And great classic songs!!!!!
Ahhh...you picked a classic by The Eagles. I saw an interview, not too long ago, with the lead singer, and drummer, Don Henley, who said that the meaning of the song was that, for good or bad, there is no going back once you've experience something. Whether it was pleasant, or very unpleasant, you can't erase what's been seen, heard, felt, and experienced. It's really a cautionary tale; to be very careful of what we allow ourselves to be exposed to.
I love seeing the reaction of these young people's appreciation of the music I grew up on in the 70"s It's great!
I've begun writing Gospel music in my old age (66), and have acquired a very dear friend who used to play with The Eagles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, etc. His name is Jimmy Jack Whitaker and he mostly produces Gospel music now. He also has The JImmy Jack Foundation and supplies musical instruments to kids who want to play an instrument but cannot afford one. We were privileged enough to help a young lady receive an instrument from Jimmy Jack a couple of years ago. Most of the instruments he gives out are ones in good shape which have been donated. Hubby and I both LOVE what you are doing and love your reaction to some of the oldie but goodies.
This song is about the dark side of excess in America, in LA particularly.
The way Glenn Frey explained it "This song is about the dark underbelly of excess in Los Angeles".
Yes but to be specific it’s about drugs
tacbear it’s about fame and Hollywood,selling soul and shit like that,
Once you enter the life of fame, you never go back to being a normal nobody, hence “you can check out anytime you like but you can never leave”
Correct. For the longest time I thought it was referencing purgatory.
It's about the Church of Satan in San Francisco
Love this song that helped shape Rock and Roll! According the the Eagles, it is about the ugly side of American culture. It was about too much sex, drugs, money, and how wanting all that and revelling in it hurts us all. These were good midwestern kids who went to California and saw the ugly underbelly of excess. Of course growing up, I just thought it was about drugs. Great reaction, thanks!
Nice explanation.
@Tyler Buckley
No one argued that. Reread, then comprehend.
It's a very dark song, but not played as a dark song. Listen to the Alabama 3 (A3 in the USA) cover, that's much better and darker.
For years people thought it was about a mental institute, but that has been debunked.
Lolli Nelson
I have always thought it was about someone who is wrapped in nostalgia for the 60's San Francisco dream but trapped in its decadent, corrupted legacy. "We havn't had that spirit here since 1969". Which is similar to what you said.
Don Felder and Joe Walsh trying to out-do each other made a great solo in the end! Drummer Don Henley is the singer.
The story I always heard was Felder and Walsh recorded the ending guitars. Henley listened to it and told them to do it again, it could be better. So Felder and Walsh sat and smoked a joint and waited. Henley came back later, listened to the same recording as before and loved it. Don't know if this is true, just the story I always heard.
Everyone is calling it a guitar solo. It's a guitar duet. Dueling guitars.
Telynn S if that’s true, that’s my new favorite story 😂
Nathan D oh I know haha I was talking about Telynn S’s story about them writing the guitar duet
@Canadian Patriot Check out Roger Taylor of Queen, he's a master at it.. :)
One of the best ever. I particularly love the drumming; so inventive; missing beats when you would expect there to be a beat; brilliant. Absolute classic. The acoustic version is wonderful as well.
Thats what you call a perfect piece of music
I always enjoy seeing young brothers enjoy music of my generation. Remember it all arose from the Blues. There are Some great Blues rifts man.
One of my favorite Eagles song.
I've a fan fan since 2013. I knew about them in 1994, but was since closet fan for a long time. I'm an African American and when I first found the Eagles in 1994, my mother wouldn't let go to their concerts. Heck any concerts that wasn't black. She was very strict on that. Now i go to concerts and I've seen the Eagles in concert for the first time last year.
Like other people said. The drummer is actually the lead singer of this song. You don't have that many bands where the drummer is the lead or co-lead singer of most of their hits. You can count on your hand where the drummer is the lead singer. There should be a video (if its not gone) of Don singing and drummer at the same time.
He sang most of their hits along with the late Glenn Frey, but the whole band sing lead. Not just one person. Its just Don and Glenn sang majority of their hit songs, but two other songs that wasn't sang by Don and Glenn that were hits.
What i like about the Eagles is his harmonies. They have great harmonies.
You should listen to more songs by them. They are a band and still very popular almost 50 years later.
Hey there is on YT. Don Henley singing and playing drums to this very song during that time 1976 or thereabouts.
This could be a reason he hasn’t heard a lot of these songs...his parents may have been opposed...u just never know about someone’s upbringing....
This song was a reflection of the west coast decadence of the 1970's.
Yes it was, right on
and 5 decades later it is exactly the same
I agree!
We had a hippie school bus driver in the mid 70's. He'd crank up the radio and we'd sing along with the tunes on the way to high school.
If “Desperado” and “One Of These Nights” were part of the soundtrack of your youth, it may come as no surprise that the Eagles’ greatest hits album has toppled Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the best-selling album of all time in the U.S. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 has been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) as having sold 38 million copies since it was released in 1976. Thriller, which allowed the King of Pop to reign at the top for 30 years, is now in second place with 33 million sold.
The Eagles have third place, too, with Hotel California, also released in 1976 and certified at 26 million copies sold. The figures include record sales and digital streams certified by the RIAA.
Topping this particular chart in the age of digital music downloads and online streaming is yet another achievement for the iconic band, which has sold 150 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. “Congratulations to the Eagles, who now claim the jaw-dropping feat of writing and recording two of the top three albums in music history,” said Cary Sherman, chairman and CEO of RIAA.
Soundtrack to my youth.
2 of the Eagles LPS are in the Top 5 Biggest selling Lps in the USA And 8 0f the top 25 biggest selling LPS IN THE USA ARE FROM THE 1970s
The drummer "Don Henley" is the one who is singing, and there's three guitar players.
Only Don and Joe on this one
Glenn plays acoustic as well.
mikimike love your profile pic
Don also wrote this.
And what 6 guitar parts approx?
I can never figure how Don Henley could sing so well while playing the drums.
if you are afraid to ask him just ask Phil Collins hehe
Roger did great with Queen!
I wish Levon Helm could tell you
Then there was Karen Carpenter.
Roger Taylor
Saw them on the Hell Freezes Over tour, no opening act, and this was the first song, just BOOM! Blew us away, 30,000 people sang every word to every song that night, lol, it was awesome.
OGSpaceCadet I saw them on that tour! What a great show! They had a brass section and the music just swallowed you whole. Great memories!
I love the Eagles and this is my favorite song by them! Don Henley's voice is amazing and the guitars and drums and so extraordinary! This song never gets old! The GOAT! 💖💖
This song hits at so many levels. The instruments, the composition, the lyrics, the subliminal messages all put together.
Probably one of the most legendary and unforgettable guitar solos in rock n’ roll history. And yes! Hotel California is a real place!
Lying Eyes, my favourite Eagles song ever. Every time I hear this song brings back memories of when the band I was in played. Thank you.
Whose up lol? This video was blocked for 3 days and knowing WMG it'll be blocked again. Enjoy this while it lasts because it's gonna be blocked for copyright again
Surprised it's still up..
Me too. They still have plenty of days left hopefully through some luck they miss or ignore it
JayveeTV it’s about a drug deal gone wrong
No. It's a broader culture commentary.
@@757optim California, Beverly Hills, Drugs, women and Cocaine ( flake only thank you) SO 80' s So Cal culture.
You gotta watch this live. Mind. Blown!
Also driving along. Full blast on the music system, playing air drums!
Also the drummer is the singer lol. Again - watching it live was heaven!
I like seeing people reacting to the music of my life ,that really tells me how great my Era was. Thanks you.
You might like:
The Steve Miller Band, "Fly Like an Eagle" or "Wintertime".
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear the Reaper"
These are songs from around the same time as "Hotel California" & sound really good with headphones
BOC... very underrated. Love Steve Miller also. Very good taste in music. Burnin' For You and Jet Airliner( the FULL version) are two of my favorites from those two, respectively.
"So far I'm trying to figure out the meaning of this song..."
Hahahaha! Good luck 😄
Been listening for 40 years, i still haven't figured it out.
DRUG ADDICTION...
this song is a heroine trip
It’s talking about he being in hell
i thought it was about being at the playboy mansion
with tarts n coke
about the excesses of california fluff and the shallow characters therein.
to quote Don Henley, 'there are a lot of really crazy theories about the meaning of this song. I'll just say it's about a 'loss of innocence'" So, put that into context of what they were doing (recreationally) at the time, This was the beginning of the really big cocaine boom, primarily starting in California, and all of them were incredibly into it. Glenn Frey tells a story about speeding down the freeway at about 95 with a friend, and the trunk was basically filled with coke. Frey tells his friend to sloe down because the last thing they need is to get pulled over. Friend simply replied "life in the fast lane" which also became the title of another song on the Hotel California album. So, without getting too specific about what I read into Hotel California, I think it's primarily a metaphor for getting sucked into the California lifestyle at the time, with all its high life and addictions.
So in that vein a few of the lines take on a different meaning.
"Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" - both very basic reasons for people getting constantly high.
"Stab it with their steely knives but just can kill the beast". Cutting up lines of coke and heroin, but as they say "you just can never catch the dragon".
"Bring me my wine, we haven't had that spirit here since 1969" - people don't drink to get high any more...it's all about the drugs now.
"We're programmed to receive, you can check out any time you like but you can never leave."...almost self-explanatory in the lifestyle context.
This is one of those classics with a big message. I've often used "...you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" as good heedance - might as well say "scared straight".
a genuis wrote this , unbelievable
Bj D Joe Walsh.
@Bj D Dude it's Joe Walsh
These guys were royally into "perfection" in their music! You can really tell by listening to any of their songs! The thing to do is, get the album on the platter, turn off all the lights, and LAY DOWN...AND LISTEN ! It's a trip...
I would have to say they rivaled bands like Queen and Rush in musicianship. Top notch stuff. All 3 of them are perfectionists, and it shows in their music.
"Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air..."
Colitas may refer to: A slang term in Mexico for the buds of the cannabis plant.
May? Dude, it totally does.
The 70s had some of the greatest music of all time! Boston's debut album, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and so much more!
Don't forget Bowie and Stevie Wonder.
It was a GREAT TIME to be twenty something... 👍☺☺☺☺☺😍
Pink Floyd's Dark side of the moon.
Stranger billy Joel.
KC and the Sunshine Band.
Yes I’m serious
I grew up listening to music from the 70’sand 80’s mostly. Hotel California has always seemed to me like it was a dream he was having.
Their Masterpiece.
The duet at the end is worth the wait.
The drummer is the vocalist.
This is one of the greatest songs ever, great reaction and yes the solo is one of the all time greats. Its worth seeking out the live video and watch those guitarists duel.
Seven Bridges Road performed by The Eagles. Your mind will be blown.
Beautiful a’cappella work at the beginning of “Seven Bridges Road” , one of my favorites.
That song got me hooked on the Eagles
I do love those ending dueling guitars....they helped to make that song.
What's even harder to believe was the animosity between the group on who gets to shine on stage lots of arguing yet they worked it out and made it work. True professionals!!
You can litterally hear the battle of Good vs Evil in this Guitar Solo between Don Felder and Joe Walsh in this song and Video. What a Great song and Guitar Mastery this tune turned out. I am forever greateful to have lived and heard this song so many times in my life.
Nice! Got one for you "The Chain" Fleetwood Mac.
Yep. Anything from their Rumours album. I still listen to this album after about 30 years. Good music does not age. It grows in depth as you yourself do.
I agree 1000%!
Gold Dust Woman!!
Also LEATHER AND LACE. Beautiful song
prolly one of the best guitar duo solos ever and when they all get on same page with guitar,, bass, and drums at the end it makes your mind melt. like these dudes are reading each other's minds!
pantheryou Great comment except it’s not a guitar solo. Unless there is a guitarist with six hands out there somewhere
We've all had the headphones on man, we know exactly what you're talking about and then some!
You should really watch the live version. Seeing them play and sing...mind blowing talent. So many guitarists on one stage and they all can sing.
I'm watching him and when he says, "Let me pause this here. Did you hear that guitar?" And I'm thinking . . . just wait about another 90 seconds or so, buddy.
Love--LOVE all the Eagles music!! Great review Jay!!
these guy's were super talented. in the 70's they kicked ass.
"You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave".... strong stuff man...
Listen to Boston “More than a Feeling” must Hear!!!
DON HENLEY IS THE LEAD SINGER AND ON THE DRUMS, KINDA LIKE PHIL COLLINS WITH GENESIS :) PRETTY AWESOME MUSIC JAY
And Levon Helm with The Band...
Great video, you should listen to One of These Nights by The EAGLES.
I'll take a listen but don't wanna react to another eagles song and have it blocked instantly lol
@@JayveeTV it will be, too, those beetches! Even if you don't do a react, i recommend giving it a listen, tho. Very smooth, and i am not a huge Eagles fan at all. One you could try for a react that no one has done yet, that i've noticed, is "Deacon Blue" by Steely Dan.
Sherron Bell my favorite Eagles song 💜
@@JayveeTV this is still up so I think you're good.
Or pretty much any other Eagles tune.
This is the title song from the original album which was a huge hit on the album chart and spawned three other top 10 hits. This song, New Kid In Town and Life In The Fast Lane all hit #1 on the singles chart. The song Lyin' Eyes hit #2! They have other great songs and were one of the biggest selling groups of the 70's.
This album really remade the eagles and they got a lot better when Joe Walsh joined them
This is a monster song!!! Loved by so many people during its time and still even admired and approached by many that have never even heard it, yet.
Love the Eagles what a great band. My mom was young then so she listened to them learn to love them because of her
Love these guys. I'm. 53. My parents listen to them. Listen watch their live concert in 1977, Washington DC. Its freaking awesome
They have the top selling album of all time for a reason. They did not fuck around when it came to making great music.
The Eagles...one of the best bands! Hit after hit..then successful solo careers followed. Such talents artist. Just proves, 70’s Rock Rules. This song, one of the best guitar solos!
One of my favorite members, Joe Walsh. Please react to his Rocky Mountain Way. Live version.
Absolutely @Texas Magnolia!!
This song holds en eerily special place in my heart. Back in '00 - '01, i lived and worked at Lake San Antonio Resorts in Monterey County, CA, workin' the general store. A lot evenings would be pretty quiet and I was often the only person after 8pm till we closed at 10pm - employees or customers. Many, many nights, the jukebox in the arcade would just come on at random, and it was always this song. I'd be in my office readin' a book or moppin' the floor and nearly shit myself when the intro would start blarin' outta nowhere! Got me everytime, but love it, none the less!
Haha that is where I spent many nights with friends drinking and listening to exactly this song, I think this is a common tale from any teen\young adult from salinas and south county in the 90s. I'd be freaked out if I were in your situation though, just randomly playing on juke box with noone around, good on you for sticking around for however long you did in that job, I'd be out of there quick af
@@metalmonkey6262 I was there for a little over a year. My cousins, Brian & Jen, were hired to run LSAR from April '00 till the end of '03. I ran w/ the marina crew, Ty & Jason and others. We may have crossed paths.
@@mthorntonwolfe
I'm sure we have
when he stopped it before “bring your alibis” i almost cried
He'd have to listen again without pausing to let it sink in.
"Her mind was tiffany twisted, she got the Mercedes bends"
Mercedes-Benz
@@Axeman517, the term "Mercedes bends" is correct. In an interview, Don Henley explained that the woman in the song is so detached from reality that she is literally sick.
@@mikeandrews8272 Tiffanies is a high end store where the most wealthy shop. So you have that ...
@@Axeman517 the tiffany twisted part and mercades bends were comments on her psychology and mental issues ... her greed and desires ...
"Definitely twisted", I thought? And yes Mercedes Benz🙂
The drummer is the lead singer on this song. They have several lead singers. The guitars were dueling.
Don Henley (the Eagles) & Levon Helm (the Band), IMO, two of the best drummer/singers in Rock & Roll history.
#masters
Lest we not forget Phil Collins
Tom Krysiak you beat me to it
And Roger Taylor♥️
Jay Vee:
This song is about DRUG ADDICTION. Listen again in this context.
"You can check out but you can never leave."
It's about drug addition to YOU. That's the great thing about the 70's - so much of the lyrics could be interpreted different ways.
The Hotel California = THC ( Drug). Now listen to it again...
Drugs and so much more!
"They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast" is a reference to intravenous injection.
You must watch the live original version…. Back in the day.. when they first released it. Lead singer was also the drummer!! The guitars 🎸 there at the end were dueling.. yep there were a few of them.. Joe Walsh Elec Guitar 🎸is 🔥
I went to see the Eagles in 1978. it was there Hotel California tour. Best concert ever.Still miss Glenn.
It was I think, about the allure and decay of California culture at that time.
How on earth could you never of heard of the Eagles and not heard of this classic song before?!
All the black reactors never listened to anything but rap crap. They don,t know music..
@@patwelch8187 your stupidity comes through loud and clear
@@patwelch8187 you're a moron.
Fun fact, this song is about purgatory (the area between heaven and hell) In the begining of the song he was drunk driving and crashed, and he dies.
I've never heard that ! And I've been listening to these guy's since there first album, the only story about this song that I've heard for ever is that it was about a rehab house... "we are all just prisoners here of our own device". Great reaction tons of music by the Eagles, try witchy woman one of their first big hits...♡
Nope it's about addiction, "They stab it with their steely knives but they just can't kill the beast" and addiction is "programmed to receive" so to speak pulling you in to be an addict. But it's not JUST drug addiction it's addiction in general, so addiction to materialism and excess (including drugs, alcohol and a fast lifestyle) this is what Don Henley (one of the writers) said in a rolling stone magazine article.
I don't think that's right. The song is about excess I think.
No. It's about the entertainment industry and how once you sign that contract they own you and about the drug and sex and hedonistic lifestyle that goes along with it. "you can check out anytime but you can never leave". The only way you can leave is in a body bag.
I used to dance or just listen to this many, many, MANY years ago... everyone new this song and I live in Portugal!
So I was introduced to the Eagles when they got back together and did their Hell Freezes Over tour. During that time Don Henley(the lead singer) was in front just singing and playing maracas or a tambourine but in the 70’s he was actually the drummer AND lead singer which I’ve not seen before in any other band. Truly a legendary band!
Don Henley vocals. (He could sing the phone book, but he and Glenn weren't the best "bandmates", running off and shafting their "friends".) Don Felder came up with the music and he and Joe Walsh are the twin leads on that epic solo. Hotel put a capstone on an epic band's catalog.
This song means so much to so many people yet its a master piece
Love this song ,like most people not entirely sure what it's a bout. Try Eagles lying eyes ,about a younger woman marrying an older man for his money , great song ,good luck from Liverpool uk x
I truly appreciate young folks listening to the great music from our era. Make me proud to be a 60s baby growing up listening to all of those amazing real artist that can play instruments and really sing !!!
You have a great sensitivity to music, watching u listening to Hotel California.. I haven’t smiled like that in ages! Loved watching you experience what us old folks have loved for years.. fab job keep discovering!!
You make me happy
No one figured it out
But I always think it’s about being trapped within your own mind. “You can check out any time you want but you can never leave.”
I LOVE the Eagles! ❤️❤️❤️
Harmonizing is epic.
Love this song🧡 Need to look up some live Eagles. Don’t try to hard to figure it out. It has diff meanings for diff people. They have a big line up of guitars. They were the first country rock bands. Try Take it easy & Love will keep us alive sung by the bass player Timothy b Schmidt. They had 4 singers that could sing lead. 🔥
The Byrds and Burrito Brothers did country-rock before the Eagles!
Seeing a brother digging the music I love..... Priceless
Just found your channel a couple nights ago and here I sit, a 69yr old white grandma and I have never been one to listen to the old songs from my youth, I'm not one for nostalgia, but I'm really enjoying your delight in these old songs. And *this* one, lol, delicious decadence and depravity. I would be there's been at least one PhD dissertation on what this one means. Thanks for sharing!
There are a hell of a lot interpretations about that song, ranging from being about drugs and rehab to it‘s about the American Dream and how it falls apart once you take a closer look at it.
I always kind of thought it’s about death or a near death experience. My mum thinks it’s about a man trapped in a time loop. My bf once joked it’s just a really weird yelp review 😂
I like your bf's theory.
I always felt it was about a sex cult/blackmailing ring in Hollywood and been a slave to the beast or maybe a trip to Bohemian grove lol or maybe a trip on DMT 😂
I always interpreted it as he died in the first few lines when he got tired and his sight got dim. Then he went to the Hotel California- purgatory.
I saw a really good theory about it being rehab and it explained nearly every word and line in the song and how it relates to that theory
My thought was also the time loop tbh
The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 1 was certified as the most sold album of the 20th century, beating out Thriller by MJ. The lead singer in this song is the drummer, Don Henley. He co-wrote almost every song with rhythm guitar player Glenn Frey, who unfortunately passed away from intestinal issues in January 2016. Randy Meisner plays bass (pronounced base). This song is especially known for the long guitar solos at the end because the studio thought that it was too long. It’s actually 2 guitarists battling with and against each other named Don Felder & Joe Walsh. They are still playing today. Sometimes Glenn’s son, Deacon, plays with them. They own & manage all of their publishing rights, so I am sure that a lot of their songs will be blocked. Please try anyway. “One of these nights” sung by Henley ua-cam.com/video/bZGfRq-uAEo/v-deo.html or “Take it easy” sung by Frey, ua-cam.com/video/imtl12PTbb4/v-deo.html “Take it to the limit” sung by Meisner ua-cam.com/video/UJ2_HttFkkc/v-deo.html or “I can’t tell you why” sung by Timothy Schmidt, who replaced Randy on bass when he left the band. ua-cam.com/video/s0R4PPk3k24/v-deo.html
*Correction, The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 1 has outsold Thriller ONLY IN THE U.S.A. This is not anything new, The Eagles had the #1 spot IN THE U.S.A before Michael Jackson died, then Thriller and now Eagles again, they've been battling for years in THE U.S.A. with that being said, Thriller is still the best selling worldwide and not being rude, just stating facts.
GTA5 70s Music Ok. If you say so. The documentary “History of the Eagles” from 2013 has their manager Irving Azoff showing off the plaque that he was given for the most sales in the 20th century. It’s available to watch if you have Stingray Qello.
GTA5 70s Music Excuse me!!! I forgot to say in the US, but it’s true when I said 20th century. MJ went past the record after he died in the 21st century. From Wikipedia:
. It was the best-selling album of the 20th century in the United States, and it stayed the best-selling album in the U.S. for some years until it was surpassed by Michael Jackson's Thriller after the artist's death in 2009.[1] In August 2018, it regained the title of the U.S.'s biggest-selling album, with a 38× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. Now, leave me alone and get a life. I have baseball to watch.
@@heyjude1920 ok but you can't forget to add U.S. next time, you can't just be handing out false information, people think the U.S. is the only country when it comes to music, like theres not other countries out there or something.
Hey Jude This was my first album.
You should watch them do this live even if you can't show it on your channel. That's the drummer Don Henley singing. And that's Don Felder and Joe Walsh doing the dueling guitar solos at the end.
I had the same reaction the first time I heard Don Henley's "Taking You Home". His lyrics are expressive and his voice is unique if a bit "strained" sounding, like he's on the verge of tears.
"You can check out anytime you like But you can never leave" intense!! Shouts out from Nelly in Toronto Ontario Peace and Love Man
Seven Bridges Road, awesome harmonizing.
Imagine having the ability and skill to be able to play the drums and be the lead singer at the same time !!
You need to listen to ELO electric light orchestra, you'll like it
Try the ZOOM tour, one of the best performances they have ever delivered
Welcome to the Eagles. All of their songs are good. Don Henley is one of my fav singers
So cool that you found this song! It’s been around for 40+years! Eagles were one of the primary bands that shaped the rock sound at that time . It’s about the pitfalls of excess in the US, LA in particular. The story starts out with a guy driving towards LA through the California desert. Crazy great song!