[Verse 1 - Drums in] [Bm] On a dark desert highway, [F#] cool wind in my hair [A] Warm smell of colitas, [E] rising up through the air [G] Up ahead in the distance, I [D] saw a shimmering light [Em] My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, [F#] I had to stop for the night [Bm] There she stood in the doorway; [F#] I heard the mission bell [A] And I was thinking to myself, [E] heaven or this could be hell [G] Then she lit up a candle and she [D] showed me the way [Em] There were voices down the corridor, [F#] I thought I heard them say...
[Chorus] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] Plenty of room at the hotel Cali [D] fornia, [Em] time of year, you can [F#] find it here
[Verse 2] [Bm] Her mind is tiffany-twisted, [F#] she got the Mercedes Benz [A] She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that [E] she calls friends [G] How they dance in the courtyard, [D] sweet summer sweat. [Em] Some dance to remember, [F#] some dance to forget [Bm] So I called up the captain, [F#] please bring me my wine [A] haven t had that spirit here since [E] nineteen sixty nine [G] And still those voices are calling from [D] far away [Em] Wake you up in the middle of the night, [F#] just to hear them say
[Chorus] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] They re living it up at the hotel Cali [D] fornia [Em] nice surprise, bring your [F#] alibis
[Verse 3] [Bm] Mirrors on the ceiling, [F#] the pink champagne on ice [A] we are all just prisoners here, [E] of our own device [G] And in the masters chambers, [D] they gathered for the feast [Em] The stab it with their steely knives, [F#] just (snare) can't (snare) kill the (snare - flamenco fill) beast [Bm] Last thing I remember, I was [F#] running for the door [A] I had to find the passage back, [E] place I was before [G] relax, said the night man, [D] programmed to receive. [Em] You can checkout any time you like, [F#] (F#stop+snare) but you can never leave! (F#F#F#)
[Another Chorus? - use snare to bring back in] [G] Welcome to the hotel Cali [D] fornia; [F#] lovely place, [Bm] lovely face [G] They re living it up at the hotel Cali [D] fornia [Em] nice surprise, bring your [F#] alibis
[Riff] [C]-x-x-[C/D]--x-x-[C/E]-x--x-x-[F]-x--[F]-x-x-x--- [F]-x-x-[F]----x-x-[G]---x--x-x-x-x----x---x-x-x--- (C to F riff = C C/D C/E F - can play x32010 x30010 x(3)2010)
[Verse- Repeat Riff 1] Oh, what a [C to F riff] night ..... [F] late [G] December back in [C to F riff]'6...3, .....[F] what a [G] very special [C to F riff]time for me, .......... as [F]I re [G] member what a [C to F riff]night! ..........[F][G] Oh, what a [C to F riff]night, you [F]know I [G]didn't even [C to F riff]know her name, but [F]I was [G]never gonna [C to F riff] be the same, [F]what a [G]lady, what a [C to F riff] night! [F][G]
[Chorus - Just Bass drum with chords, no snare, no harmonies] Oh [Dm] I, I [F] got a funny feeling when she [Am] walked in the [G] room, and [Dm] I, as [F] I recall it ended much [G] too soon. [G7]
[Verse - RIFF 1] Oh, what a [C to F riff]night, ...... [F]Hypno [G] tizing, mesme [C to F riff] rizing me. ........[F]She was [G]everything I [C to F riff] dreamed she'd be.....[F]Sweet sur[G]render, what a [C to F riff] night!! [F][G]
[Horn Bit] Am x x Am - x x x x Am x x Am - x x x x Am x x C - x x D x (repeat)
[Bridge] [F] Oh, I felt a rush like a [Em] rolling bolt of thunder, [F] spinning my head around and [G] taking my body under. (Oh what a
[Vamp on riff - no vocals] C C/D C/E F - F F G G x 4
[Chorus - Just Bass drum with chords, no snare, no harmonies] Oh [Dm] I, I [F] got a funny feeling when she [Am] walked in the [G] room, and [Dm] I, as [F] I recall it ended much [G] too soon. [G7] (Oh what a)
[Verse] [C to F riff](night) ......... ,[F] why'd it [G] take so long to [C to F riff]see the light? .........[F] Seemed so [G] wrong, but now it [C to F riff]seems so right .........[F] what a [G] lady, what a [C to F riff]night!
[Horn Bit] Am x x Am - x x x x Am x x Am - x x x x Am x x C - x x D x (repeat)
[Bridge] [F] Oh, I felt a rush like a [Em] rolling bolt of thunder, [F] spinning my head around and [G] taking my body under. (Oh what a
[Outro] [Dooh dooh dooh dooh bit - Riff 1 - heavy on drums - chords much more muted] [C] (Night) Doo [C/D] do [C/E] doo [F] do do, [F] doo [F] do [G] doo (Oh what a) Repeat til fade or end on [C] [End]
