Hotel California by Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey — ESL Song Worksheet | English Plans

HOTEL CALIFORNIA

▲▼▲ Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey · 1976 ▲▼▲

Listen carefully and fill in the missing words.

    Verse 1
On a dark desert (1)
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a (2) light
My head grew (3) and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

There she stood in the (4)
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 (5)
I thought I heard them say

Chorus
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here

Verse 2
Her mind is Tiffany-(6)
She got the Mercedes-Benz, uh
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys
That she calls friends
How they danced in the (7)
Sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember
Some dance to forget

So I called up the (8)
"Please bring me my wine"
He said, "We haven't had that (9) here since 1969"
And still those voices are calling from far away
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say

[Chorus]

Bridge
Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
And she said, "We are all just (10) here
Of our own device"
And in the master's (11)
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their (12) knives
But they just can't kill the beast

Outro
Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the (13) back
To the place I was before
"Relax," said the night man
"We are (14) to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave"


  

Hotel California

Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey · 1976

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Song Worksheets

Word Family Tree

Complete the word family for each root word. Fill in the missing forms.

1. prison
noun: verb: adj:

2. shimmer
noun: verb: adj:

3. program
noun: verb: adj:

4. twist
noun: verb: adj:

5. device
noun: verb: adj:

The Missing Verse

Write one more verse for this song. Match the style, rhythm, and emotional tone.

Your verse should continue the story or explore another aspect of being trapped in the Hotel California. Use vivid imagery and maintain the mysterious atmosphere.

Did you know?

Read these facts about the song. Which one surprises you most?

🎵The song was inspired by the dark underbelly of the American Dream and 1970s excess in California, particularly Hollywood's hedonistic lifestyle.
⭐Don Felder wrote the music on a 12-string guitar, creating the iconic dual guitar harmony that became the song's signature sound.
🎸The hotel itself doesn't exist, though many real hotels claim to be the inspiration, including the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.
📀The line 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969' refers to both alcohol and the death of the 1960s counterculture movement.
🎤The song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1978 and is considered one of the greatest rock songs ever written.

Discussion & analysis

Discuss each question with your partner.

1What does the Hotel California represent as a metaphor for modern American society?
2How does the song use the concept of paradise to critique materialism and excess?

3Can you think of a situation where you felt trapped by your own choices or circumstances?
4Is it possible to truly escape from the psychological prisons we create for ourselves?

🥁 Play It! — Tap the Beat

A student taps the rhythm of a song on the desk — or hums the melody. No words. Class tries to identify the song. First correct guess wins a point for their team.