[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
[Intro - BPM 127 - Vox double - all way through] Start on upstroke so that snare hit lands on downstroke [Main intro and verse riff] -----------------------------*all downstrokes for run down E ------------------1--3---------3-1----- B 7--7--------------1--3--7--7-7-3-17----- G 7--7-repeat twice-2--4--7--7-7-4-27------ D 7--7--------------3--5--7--7-7-5-37---- A 5--5--------------3--5--5--5-5-5-35----- E ------------------1--3-------5-3-1------ udududududududududududududududududu
[Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - no drums] [Muted intro - [D][F][G] with run - play snare on each downbeat of run] [Intro x 2 with full drums]
[Verse 1] [D5] People... [F][G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] learnin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Soldiers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] warrin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 2] [D5] Powers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lyin', [F][G] [D5][F][G] While your [D5] people [F] .. [G] . [D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] dyin [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5][F#7] keep on [G7] turnin [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G]
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 3] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', [G] 'Til I [G7] reach the highest [D5] ground-- [F] -- [G] ---
[Vamp] [D5][F][G] x 2
[Verse 4] [D5] Teachers.. [F] . [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] teachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Preachers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] preachin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] World... [G][A][E5] just [F#7] keep on [G7] turnin', [C9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G][D5][F][G] D5 F G D5 F G Oh, no!
[Verse 5] [D5] Lovers. [F] .. [G][D5][F] keep [G] on [D5] lovin', [F][G][D5][F][G] Be - [D5] lievers. [F] .. [G][D5] keep [F] on [G] be - [D5] lievin', [F][G][D5][F][G] [E5] Sleepers. [G] .. [A][E5][F#7] just stop [G7] sleepin', [C7add9] 'Cause it won't be too [D5] long [F][G] [D5] Oh, no! [F] -- [G] ----- [D5] ------ [D7] -----
[Verse 6] I'm [G7] so darn glad he let me [D7] try it again, 'Cause my [G7] last time on earth I lived a [D7] whole world of sin, I'm [G7] so glad that I know more [D7] than I knew then, Gonna [E7] keep on tryin', ' [G] Til I [G7] reach my highest [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G]
[Coda] [D5] Woo! [F][G][D5] Til I [F] reach my [G] highest [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] No, [F][G][D5] no one's [F] gonna [G] bring me [D5] down, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Oh, no, [F][G][D5] til I [F] reach my [G] higher [D5] ground, [F][G][D5][F][G] [D5] Hum, [F] don't [G] you [D5] let no - [F] body [G] bring you d [D5] own- [F] -- [G] -, [D5][F][G] [D5] God, is gonna [F] show you [G] higher [D5] ground [F][G][D5][F][G][D]