這幾個酷似流浪漢又像用藥過量(尤其是後面兩個給我特別注意)的團體, 就是 The Eagles. EAGLES是七零年代末期, 美國本土極具代表性的一支搖滾樂團, 他們的音樂帶有濃厚的西部鄉村味道, 早期團員們還經常牛仔裝扮, 彷彿西部牛仔一般,滿特別的,他們不論在音樂的曲調編排, 或是團員間的合聲默契都非常動聽. 團員中的靈魂人物當然以Don Henley(右一爆炸頭) 和 Glenn Frey (左一疑似剋藥, 要驗尿才知道)為主. 經典之作非 " Hotel California" 末屬.

公路上吸大麻的年輕人闖進一間氣氛詭異的旅社中開始描述起，頗有早期歐美恐怖電影的感覺，略帶神秘的服務生、紙醉金迷的男女形象、主人詭異的娛樂愛好、親切萬分卻格外突兀的歡迎辭令，整首歌內容彷彿籠罩在一個詭譎的氛圍之下



有認為這首歌是在描寫一位白人靈魂樂女歌手janis choplin，她最後的身影被人發現出現在加州的一間旅社內，死因是吸毒過量。也有說這是根據一裝真實邪教事件改編來，某邪教以加州的一間旅社作為他們黑暗活動的大本營，而EAGLES這張專輯的初版封面上印著的旅館照片，聽說就是這間旅社。眾說紛紜，當然真實情況為何，沒有更進一步考證動作下我們不得而知。但唯一可知的是，eagles被稱做美國史上最偉大的合唱團體，Hotel California作為這個團體的演唱生涯巔峰之作，將eagles的聲勢推向了空前絕後的高潮，卻也因為這首歌的太過成功，使得eagles後來難以再創作出堪與比肩的作品，之後聲勢便漸漸下滑，最後甚至走向了解散重組的命運。雖然我們不能夠武斷地說，eagles的風雲與沒落皆繫於Hotel California的身上，團體的解散，其中也許存在更多千絲萬縷的錯縱內情。但源於Hotel California創作的種種傳說，作為一個旁觀聽眾，一個喜好八卦的鄉民，我們或許能夠聯想，因一首歌使得該團體自興而衰，成也蕭何敗也蕭何，這其中是否和那邪教的傳奇有什麼相干？或許，在eagles創作出Hotel California的同時，就受到了邪教的詛咒也說不定呢？

Billboard TOP 40
Year Title
1972 Take It Easy - (#12)
1972 Witchy Woman - (#9)
1973 Peaceful Easy Feeling - (#22)
1974 Already Gone - (#32)
1975 Best of My Love - (#1)
1975 Lyin' Eyes - (#2)
1975 One Of These Nights - (#1)
1976 Take It To the Limit - (#4)
1977 Hotel California - (#1)
1977 Life in the Fast Lane - (#11)
1977 New Kid In Town - (#1)
1978 Please Come Home for Christmas - (#18)
1979 Heartache Tonight - (#1)
1980 I Can't Tell You Why - (#8)
1980 The Long Run - (#8)
1981 Seven Bridges Road - (#21)
1994 Get Over It - (#31)











Lyrics :
On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
The warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in a 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 face
There's plenty of room in the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is tiffany twisted
She's got a Mercedes Benz
She's got a lotta 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 face
They're livin' it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise, bring your alibis

Mirrors on the ceilling, the pink champagne on ice
And she said "We are all just prisoners here of our own device"
In the masters chambers they're 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 runnin' 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 recieve
You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave"