Hotel California Poem Analysis

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The song, Hotel California, written by Don Henley, illustrates the contrast between perceptions of California as a place of freedom and reality to show the pitfalls of living in Southern California during the 1970s. Hotel California is written in the form of a short story as a warning against the dangers of being lured into the American dream. In the traveler’s stay at the hotel, he is pervaded by temptations of drugs, money, and women. However, he eventually becomes disillusioned to the pitfalls of California. The traveler is told, “You can check out any time you like but you can never leave” This lyric is implying a loss of innocence that can never be regained. Don Henley wrote this song as a cautionary tale against the lure of a life

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