# Meaning of "Hotel California"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-hotel-california/465043>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 24, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-hotel-california/465043 "2008-09-24T19:24:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-hotel-california/465043/21 "2008-09-25T20:45:13Z")

</div>

> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Isn’t it “Mirrors on the ceiling, **depict** champagne on ice?”  
> ETA: Yes. Yes it is.

I’ll match **askeptic** and **Pork Rind’s** $50.

U.S. currency only, please. 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-hotel-california/465043/22 "2008-09-25T22:06:25Z")

</div>

So “steely knives” was supposed to be a reference to Steely Dan? Steely Dan wrote a song called “Kid Charlemagne” about a famous acid dealer. The acid dealer was arrested. Steely Dan must have been the neighbors down the hall who ratted him out! Therefore, Steely Dan destroyed the '60’s and that’s why no one has had the spirit since 1969! Yeah, it’s starting to make sense…

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-hotel-california/465043.md?page=1)