Hote California by The Eagles

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 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 bends
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 nineteen sixty nine'
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!'

I learned that this song was wrote by the band intending to show the darker side to the "American dream". But I have always thought of it as a song describing death. I see now the original idea but still like my first interpretation of the song. The Hotel California being the place of the after life. "This could be heave or this could be hell" and "Plenty of room at the Hotel California Any time of year (Any time of year)You can find it here" Theres room for all. "Some dance to remember, some dance to forget" They do this either to remember their past lives or embrace their current situation. "'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'" They are there by there own doing they caused this.. This lead me to believe it would be a half way point or hell. "I had to find the passage back To the place I was before" Trying to escape, in denial of what is happening. "You can check-out any time you like, But you can never leave!' " They can leave the "Hotel" but cant actually go back to life as it once was.