50 Songs With Hidden Meanings

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This song is simple and straightforward, or so everyone thought. The Hotel California isn't actually a luxury hotel for tired travelers to relax in. It's actually a bit deeper than that. Hotel California is a metaphor for the greed in the music industry that eventually leads to the artist's own self-destruction.

"Hotel California"—The Eagles

Even though Hotel California isn't a real location, the Eagles based this iconic spot on the real-life Beverly Hills Hotel where the band had spent a significant amount of time. Vocalist Don Henley noted, "We were getting an extensive education, in life, in love, in business. Beverly Hills was still a mythical place to us. In that sense, it became something of a symbol, and the 'Hotel' the locus of all that LA had come to mean for us."

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Did you know...

  • While attending the Grammys in February 2000, Jennifer Lopez stepped out in a green Versace dress that instantly became a phenomenon. The barely-there ensemble had a dramatically low cut that came below JLo’s belly button. It became such a talking point that it was Google’s most popular search query up to that point, and it spurred the company to include images into search results. It became the motivation for Google Images.
  • Jackie Kennedy is famous for redecorating and renovating the interior of the White House. Actually, on just her first day, she ordered $50,000 in changes for new rooms for the children and upgrades to the kitchen. She later hosted a tour of the White House for CBS News which was viewed by 56 million people and won her an Emmy Award.
  • When Rihanna debuted her famous red locks in 2010 (around the same time she was featured on Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie"), she started a red-hair trend. Over the next twelve months, she changed her hairstyle 13 times—more than once a month! But that came at a pricey cost. Sources say the annual price tag came out to $1,168,000 on just her hair.
  • Paris Hilton not only lives in a mansion, she also built a doghouse mansion for her Chihuahua. It's 300 square feet and includes air conditioning and heating. It comes decked out with designer furniture, a chandelier, a pink paint job, second-floor balcony, and enclosed "yard." It's not enough for you to live in luxury. Your dog must, as well.
  • Björk created a media sensation when she wore her iconic white swan dress to the 2001 Oscars. At the time, many derided it as hideous and a publicity stunt, but it has since gone down as one of the most memorable dresses of all time—even if it isn't exactly beloved. She says David Bowie was the inspiration behind the dress.