When Eagles released “Hotel California” in 1977, they likely never imagined how much the song would be revered decades later.

In the mid-1970s, the Eagles were working on a spooky, cryptic new song. On a lined yellow pad, Don Henley, with input from band co-founder Glenn Frey, jotted thoughts about “a dark desert highway" ...

We take a deep dive into Hotel California to understand why its lyrics have fascinated listeners for nearly five decades.