Day 89 - What are colitas?

So, we've covered movies and television (and if yesterday's entry counts, sport). What next? Even though I have been told that my muscial tastes make my iPod cry, let's try talking music.

In 1978, the "Record of the Year" at the Grammy Awards was none other than the classic "Hotel California" by our feathered friends, the Eagles. But what is it about, exactly? (And don't say "a hotel"). Let me enlighten you with a line by line analysis of the lyrics.

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Comment:- No problem so far. Unless "cool wind" is a type of hair gel.

Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Comment:- I always assumed that colitas were something like fajitas, which would explain the warm smell. You will be surprised to learn that this is actually a popular theory. Importantly, colitas are not desert flowers (the most popular theory).

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
Comment:- Man sees light.

My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
Comment:- The narrator's neck muscles suddenly collapse, and his cataracts act up. This is bad. I hope he stops for the night.

I had to stop for the night
Comment:- Phew. What a relief.

There she stood in the doorway
Comment:- Who? Who? And what doorway? What are you talking about?

I heard the mission bell
Comment:- So you're at a mission? You're on a mission? Who was in the doorway? The suspense is killing me.

And I was thinking to myself,'this could be heaven or this could be hell’
Comment:- Come on dude, focus! Who's in the doorway?

Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
Comment:- Fine. Don't tell me.

There were voices down the corridor
Comment:- Good. Maybe those people will know who this mysterious woman is that you're following into a place so old that it doesn't have electricity (she lit up a candle) after your sight "grew dim". I'm not sure that's all that's dim.

I thought I heard them say...Welcome to the hotel california
Comment: Look. I'm not interested in what you thought you heard. Go and see the people and then tell me what they said, instead of obsessing about wisps of conversation you're too far away to hear. For crying out loud.

Such a lovely place. Such a lovely face.
Comment: OK, so it's not a mission. It seems to be a hotel. With a face.

Plenty of room at the hotel california
Comment: Yes, because there's no electricity.

Any time of year, you can find it here
Comment: I give up. I don't know what "it" is. At this point in the song, here are the things we don't know:
- what colitas are
- why the singer's neck collapsed
- who the frig was in the doorway
- where the mission bell was
- what the mission bell is
- where the singer is
- why there is no electricity
- why he listens to the voices and doesn't ask the mysterious person from the doorway
- what 'it' is.

What an awesome song. So simple and clear. And I haven't even gotten to "tiffany twisted" or captains bringing wine.