[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
[Verse 1 - No drums] I've paid my [Am] dues, [Em7] time after [Am] time [Em7] ....I've done my [Am] sentence [Em7] but committed no [Am] crime [Em7] And bad mi- (arp pattern by strings played for C-51,2,3,1,2,3 F-61,2,3,1,2,3) [C] stakes, [F] I've made a [C] few [F] I've had my [C] share of sand [G/B] kicked in my [Am7/E] face, but [D/F#] I've come [G] through and we mean to go [G7] on, and on, and on, and [A] on
[Chorus - Full drums - Accent G and A with snare hits] [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - with capo, 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the world [Dm][Em7/B][Dm][Em7/B][Dm][Em7/B]
[Verse 2 - No drums] I've taken my [Am] bows, [Em7] and my curtain [Am] calls [Em7] You brought me [Am] fame and fortune and everything that [Em7] goes with it I thank you [Am] all ... [Em7] But it's been no bed of (drums in) [C] roses [F] no ooo [C] pleasure cruise [F] .... I consider it a [C] challenge before the [G/B] whole human [Am7/E] race and [D/F#] I ain't gonna [G] lose - And we mean to go [G7] on, and on, and on, and [A] on!
[Chorus - Full drums - Accent G and A with snare hits] [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the .... (no world) [D] We are the [F#m] champions, my [Bm] friends [G][A] And [D] we'll keep on [F#m] fighting 'til the [G] end [G][G/F#][G/F][D#dim - 0-X-10-11-10-X, without 0-X-7-8-7-X] (bass run low E - 11 10) [Em] We are the [Em/C#] champions, [Gm] we are the [C#dim - x42020] cham-pions. [D] No time for [Em9] losers, 'cos [F] we are the [G7] champions [Am7] Of the ... [D] world