Emmerson Nogueira (born Emmerson Oliveira Nogueira on September 9, 1972) is… Read Full Bio ↴Emmerson Nogueira (born Emmerson Oliveira Nogueira on September 9, 1972) is a Brazilian guitarist and songwriter notable for releasing only Cover albums, containing acoustic versions of several internationally famous English-speaking songs. He performs with his supporting band called Versão Acústica (Acoustic Version).

Hotel California
Emmerson Nogueira Lyrics

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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 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
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes-Benz
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that 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 face
They livin' it up at the Hotel California
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
The 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 checkout any time you like,
but you can never leave!

Overall Meaning

The song 'Hotel California' by Eagles, as covered by Emmerson Nogueira, is a haunting tale of a traveler’s journey on a dark desert highway, where he arrives at a hotel with a beckoning light in the distance. The cool wind in his hair and the warm smell of colitas create a surreal atmosphere, as his sight grows dim, and he realizes the need to stop for the night. The singer sees a shimmering light, and he encounters a woman who lights a candle and leads him to the corridors with voices beckoning him. As the tale unfolds, he discovers that he may be trapped in the hotel, unable to escape, furthering the idea that the resort is a metaphor for a life of luxury and sinful behavior.

The hotel represents a place of excess and unrestrained indulgence, with freedom impossible to leave. The mirrored ceilings, pink champagne on ice, and the dialogue of the woman who says, "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device," underscores the sense of inescapability. This statement of being trapped in personal vices is also reflected when the woman's mind is twisted as per her jewelry but also her dance parties in the courtyard with pretty boys. The feast gathering in the master's chamber sets the scene for a sacrifice, though, as the lyrics note, the beast cannot be killed.

Line by Line Meaning

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
I was driving through a deserted place, in the dark of the night, with only the cold breeze brushing against my hair.

Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
The sweet aroma of Mexican marijuana filled up the air around the highway.

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
I spotted a glowing light from a distance, possibly from a building or a structure located ahead.

My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I was tired and could hardly keep my eyes open.

I had to stop for the night
I was too worn out and needed to rest for the night.

There she stood in the doorway;
A woman welcomed me as I arrived at the entrance of the building.

I heard the mission bell
I heard the sound of a church bell ringing.

And I was thinking to myself, 'This could be Heaven or this could be Hell'
I was unsure of what to expect from the place, but I knew it could either be really good or really bad.

Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
The woman lit up a candle and guided me through the building.

There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say...
I heard distant voices coming from the corridor ahead and wondered what they were talking about.

Welcome to the Hotel California
I arrived at the Hotel California.

Such a lovely place
The place looked beautiful and appealing.

Such a lovely face
The woman who greeted me looked pretty and charming.

Plenty of room at the Hotel California
There were many vacant rooms available at the hotel.

Any time of year, you can find it here
The hotel was open and operational all year round.

Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes-Benz
The woman had a complicated and unpredictable personality but owned a luxurious Mercedes-Benz car.

She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
The woman had many handsome male friends.

How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
I saw a group of people dancing in the hotel courtyard and enjoying their time.

Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
Some individuals danced to cherish their good times, while others danced to forget about their worries.

So I called up the Captain,
I made a call to the hotel manager.

'Please bring me my wine'
I requested the hotel staff to get me my wine.

He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since nineteen sixty-nine'
The last time the hotel served the specific type of wine that I asked for was in 1969.

And still those voices are calling from far away,
I could still hear distant voices calling out to me.

Wake you up in the middle of the night
The voices could potentially wake me up in the middle of the night.

Just to hear them say...
The voices were calling me out just to hear me listen to them.

They livin' it up at the Hotel California
The people at the hotel were living their best lives.

What a nice surprise, bring your alibis
It was a pleasant experience, and I needed to provide a valid excuse for leaving the place.

Mirrors on the ceiling,
There were mirrors placed on the hotel's ceiling.

The pink champagne on ice
There was a pink color champagne kept on ice.

And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
The woman who showed me the way to the hotel said that we were all trapped here due to our choices.

And in the master's chambers,
In the owner's room,

They gathered for the feast
People assembled to eat and celebrate.

The stab it with their steely knives,
They used sharp knives to stab food.

But they just can't kill the beast
However, they could not finish the food on the plate as it was too much for them.

Last thing I remember, I was
I don't remember much,

Running for the door
But I recall running to reach the door.

I had to find the passage back
I tried to remember where the exit was and how to get out of the hotel.

To the place I was before
To the location where I was before I entered the hotel.

'Relax,' said the night man,
The night receptionist told me to relax.

We are programmed to receive.
They were trained to welcome guests.

You can checkout any time you like,
I could leave at whatever time I wanted.

but you can never leave!
But I will always have a part of that place stuck with me, unable to entirely leave it behind.