One of the first concerts I went to was The Eagles. Yeah, my parents were cool. So since the sixth grade, I've been pretty obsessed with the group, more importantly the song "Hotel California." And thanks to Ryan Murphy and American Horror Story: Hotel , "Hotel California" is now ruined. The song, which is used in the final scene of the premiere episode of AHS: Hotel, has possibly been connected to the season's plot. Call me a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I'm buying it. If "Hotel California" is connected to AHS: Hotel , then we might be able to piece together a few clues for whats to come this season.
The song "Hotel California" was released by the Eagles in 1976. The song's message and meaning has long been debated. According to the Latin Times, there is a ~rumor~ circling the AHS fandom that the storyline of Hotel will revolve around the song. A reddit theory also suggests that the song and the series are somehow connected, using this bit of historic information.
Years ago, a group of Evangelicals wrote an article claiming that the song was about Anton Lavey [sic], the founder of the Church Of Satan. According to them, Anton bought a Hotel in San Francisco and later converted it into a Church Of Satan.
Merp. Doesn't itsound like this hotel could kind of, sort of be the Hotel Cortez? Humor me and say the two are connected. Here's what the song's lyrics would suggest we can piece together for Hotel.
Most Of The Hotel's Residents Are Dead
"You can check-out any time you like/ But you can never leave!" is a lyric from the final line of the song. The idea that those in the hotel can check-out (read: die) whenever, but they can never leave (read: escape the hotel), would tie into the fact that Sally (Sarah Paulson) and Donovan (Matt Bomer) had died in the hotel, and are still walking among it. I get flashbacks from Murder House from this idea.
The Characters Are All Addicts
We know this season revolves around addiction (hey, Addiction Demon who will haunt my dreams forever), but perhaps the reason the characters are all stuck in the Hotel Cortez is because they're there because of their personal addictions. The line "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device," from "Hotel California" could tip to that. Elizabeth (Lady Gaga) seems to be addicted to sex, drugs, and blood (?), Iris (Kathy Bates) seems to be addicted to her son Donovan, Sally is addicted to drugs, too. Perhaps if you don't suffer from an addiction, you're able to leave the hotel and move on.
Elizabeth Is The "Master"
Lady Gaga's Elizabeth is also known as The Countess. But she really just seems to be the one in charge of everything. The lyrics "And in the master's chambers/ They gathered for the feast/ They stab it with their steely knives/ But they just can't kill the beast," makes me think that Elizabeth's master suite is the "chamber" where the feasting occurs. Remember when Elizabeth and Donovan had an orgy then slit the throats of the other couple and then fed off of them?
There's Probably No Way Out
Finally, the lyrics "Last thing I remember/ I was running for the door/ I had to find the passage back/ To the place I was before," basically suggest that you wanna get the hell out of the Hotel California/ Hotel Cortez, and that isn't going to be an easy feat.
Oh, and just for a total mindf*ck, "Hotel California" was released by Asylum Records. OK, bye.
Images: Suzanne Tenner/FX (3); Frank Ockenfels/FX
