Hotel California – English Lyrics

• By: Eagles
• Album: Hotel California

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rich, descriptive storytelling of 'Hotel California.' This song is perfect for English learners wanting to master atmospheric adjectives, narrative tenses, and complex metaphors, all while exploring one of the most iconic tales in rock history.

[English]

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

"Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face

Plenty of room at the Hotel California

Any time of year (any time of year)

You can find it here"

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes-Benz, uh

She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys 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 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 place)

Such a lovely face

They livin' it up at the Hotel California

What a nice surprise (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 master's 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 check out any time you like, but you can never leave"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
desert /ˈdɛzərt/ A2	noun - A barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs.
shimmering /ˈʃɪmərɪŋ/ B2	adjective - Shining with a soft, slightly wavering light.
corridor /ˈkɔːrɪdɔːr/ B1	noun - A long passage in a building from which doors lead into rooms.
lovely /ˈlʌvli/ A2	adjective - Exquisite; delightful; beautiful.
courtyard /ˈkɔːrtjɑːrd/ B2	noun - An unroofed area enclosed by the walls of a building.
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ B1	noun - Strong distilled alcoholic liquor.
alibis /ˈælɪbaɪz/ C2	noun - A claim or piece of evidence that one was elsewhere when an act is alleged to have taken place.
prisoners /ˈprɪzənərz/ B1	noun - A person legally committed to prison as a punishment.
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ B1	noun - A thing made or adapted for a particular purpose.
chambers /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/ C1	noun - A large room used for formal or public events; a private room.
feast /fiːst/ B2	noun - A large meal, typically one in celebration of something.
stab /stæb/ B2	verb - (someone) with a knife or other pointed object.
passage /ˈpæsɪdʒ/ B2	noun - A narrow way serving as a path.
programmed /ˈproʊɡræmd/ B2	verb - To provide with a computer or other machine with coded instructions.
receive /rɪˈsiːv/ A1	verb - To be given, presented with, or paid.