hotel california: a study in alcoholism

he's no longer in my bed. he's no longer in my sight line. he's no longer of my interest.

but did he really need to ruin hotel california in the process?

on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair

warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air

isn't this absolute heaven.

up ahead in the distance, i saw a shimmering light

substances alter perceptions.

my head grew heavy and my sight grew dim

i had to stop for the night

binge bliss; blackout.

there she stood in the doorway

i hear the mission bell

temptation's calling.

and i was thinking to myself,

this could be heaven or this could be hell

crossing the line; loss of innocence.

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

the blush of new love.

plenty of room at the hotel california

any time of year

you can find it here

the life of an alcoholic is a 24-7 party.

how they dance in the courtyard

sweet summer sweat

some dance to remember

some dance to forget

addicts run circular patterns; each one has their own reason for using.

so i called up the captain

'please bring me my wine'

he said 'we haven't had that spirit here since

nineteen sixty nine'

living in the past; maybe a past trauma has arrested development.

they living it up at the hotel california

what a nice surprise

bring your alibis

party reference, and a note of the lying that is typical of substance use.

mirrors on the ceiling

the pink champagne on ice

and she said, 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'

addicts sometimes run off the deep end of opulence, of their own free will; alas, there's no longer anyone else to blame.

and in the master's chambers

they gathered for the feast

massive binge.

they stab it with their steely knives

but they just can't kill the beast

the throes of addiction; the failure of attempted sobriety.

last thing i remember, i was

running for the door

i had to find the passage back

to the place i was before

fear and pain return the addict to the mercy of the substance; feels paranoia and seeks immediate relief.

'relax,' said the night man

we are programmed to receive

you can checkout any time you like

but you can never leave

you can think you're in control, tell yourself you're in control; you'll see what's in control in due time.

how can anyone who gets wasted and plays hotel california on their acoustic guitar deny that they're an alcoholic?