After many years Hotel California is still a classic. The words and chords are sought after items by guitar players young and old. Below are the words to Hotel California with the chord names inserted into the lines in brackets to avoid the complications we often get trying to publish lyrics and words together in articles. So the name of the chord actually appears just before the word where the chord change occurs. If you are familiar with how the song sounds, it will not be a problem.

Once you have learnt the chords and can sing and play them at the same time, I advise you to practice until the song is second nature because you really should try doing some improvising or at least writing your own solo to go with this song.

The chords you are going to be using are:

B minor which is (from sixth string to first string) 2 2 4 4 3 2

B minor seventh 2 2 4 2 3 2

F sharp 2 4 4 3 2 2

A major 0 0 2 2 2 0

E major 0 2 2 1 0 0

G major 3 2 0 0 0 3

D major x 0 0 2 3 2

E minor 0 2 2 0 0 0

Bm, Bm7 and F# are all barre chords at the second fret.

(Bm) On a dark desert highway

(F#) cool wind in my hair

(A) Warm smell of colitas

(E) rising up through the air

(G) Up ahead in the distance

(D) I saw a shimmering light

(Em) My head grew heavy

and my sight grew dim

(F#) I had to stop for the night

(Bm) There she stood in the doorway

(F#) I heard the mission bell

(A) And I was thinking to myself

this could be (E) heaven or this could be hell

(G) Then she lit up a candle

(D) and she showed me the way

(Em) There were voices down the corridor

(F#) I thought I heard them say

(G) Welcome to the Hotel Cali

for (D) nia

(Em) Such a lovely place

such a (Bm7) lovely face

(G) Plenty of room at the Hotel Cali

for (D) nia

Any (Em) time of year (any time of year)

you can (F#) find it here

(Bm) Her mind is Tiffany twisted

(F#) she got the Mercedes bends

(A) She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys

(E) that she calls friends

(G) How they dance in the courtyard

(D) sweet summer sweat

(Em) Some dance to remember

(F#) some dance to forget

(Bm) So I called up the captain

(F#) "Please bring me my wine."

(A) "We haven't had that spirit here since

(E) nineteen sixty-nine"

(G) And still those voices are calling

from (D) far away

(Em) Wake you up in the middle of the night

(F#) just to hear them say

(G) Welcome to the Hotel Cali

for (D) nia

(Em) Such a lovely place

such a (Bm7) lovely face

They (G) livin' it up at the Hotel Cali

for (D) nia

What a (Em) nice surprise (what a nice surprise)

bring your (F#) alibis"

(Bm) Mirrors on the ceiling

(F#)the pink champagne on ice

And she said (A) "We are all just prisoners here

(E) of our own device

(G) "And in the master's chambers

(D) they gathered for the feast

(Em) They stab it with their steely knives, but they

(F#)just can't kill the beast

(Bm) Last thing I remember, I was

(F#)running for the door

(A) I had to find the passage back

to the (E) place I was before

(G) "Relax" said the night man

"We are (D) programmed to receive"

(Em) "You can check out anytime you like, but

(F#) you can never leave"

There are many versions of Hotel California, including parodies, and I suggest you listen to them all. To move on and make Hotel California or any other song your own, you need to get over it. Get it out of your system. Listening to many different versions will help with this as will intensive practice. Three very differing examples are by The Gipsy Kings, The Cat Empire and a solo acoustic guitar version by Hank Marvin with some very nice licks.