Songs That Never Get Old: Hotel California

Tweet

Some might argue that The Eagles sang it best or that the live versions are better than the studio cuts but I don't think anyone that grew up in the era would say that Hotel California sounds dated. You know it isn't a modern cut but at the same time there's something to be said about something that's aged to perfection like a fine wine. When MTV still played music videos and interviewed rock stars it wasn't an odd site to see something like this hit the rotations when they had flashback sessions. It wasn't hard enough to make it onto Headbangers Ball but it did find a home on the station when they'd play solo efforts from the former band members. The real beauty of the song is that it plays perfectly at any type of a party, gathering or party. It tells the cautionary tale of things that seem too good to be true. In this case a tired driver sees what looks like paradise after a long day of traveling. You don't understand the impact of the song until you get to the line, "you can check out any time you like but you can never leave". That's not an original thought, it's been written in books, reenacted in movies and put to music by other artists. In fact, if you watch The Lightening Thief one of the catches of the story line is when three of the characters get 'stuck' inside a casino. What seems like a few hours turns out to be days thanks to poisoned lotus lower cookies.