"Hotel California" was the title song from the 1976 album of the same name by The Eagles. It is one of the best-known songs of the Album Oriented Rock era.

The lyrics of the song describe the title establishment, a hotel where "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave". On the surface, the song is a tale of a weary traveler who becomes trapped in a nightmarish hotel that at first appeared tempting; as a metaphor the song may be commenting on drug addiction or simply the decadent lifestyle the hugely successful band had been caught up in. A reference to drugs is found in the line "Warm smell of colitas rising up through the air." Colitas is the name of the buds found on Marijuana plants.

The original version of the song is performed in slow rock style, opening with a long, repeated electric guitar motif. During the verses, guitar and bass provide melodic counterpoint to the vocal. The end section of the song consists of a series of guitar solos building to a multi-layered variation on the opening theme with multiple guitars in chorus.

Writing credits for the song are shared by the group's three main songwriters: Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Don Felder.

As one of the group's most popular and well-known songs, "Hotel California" has been a concert staple for the band since its release; performances of the song appear on the Eagles' 1980 live album and, in an acoustic version, on the 1994 Hell Freezes Over reunion concert CD and video release. A few cover versions of "Hotel California" have been released, notably by flamenco band the Gipsy Kings. In 2004, it was recorded by American Idol reject William Hung.

The song may have been influenced by the 1969 Jethro Tull song "We Used to Know", from the album Stand Up. The chord progressions are nearly identical, and the bands toured together prior to the release of "Hotel".

Satanic?

Many Evangelical Christians, especially in the United States, believe that the song contains elements of Satanism and that the band members themselves were responsible for it; some say the album cover includes an image of Anton LaVey. Despite denials from the band members, this belief is still held by many Christians. This article at Snopes.com explains why it is an urban myth.