The Eagles’ “Hotel California” features some of the most vivid imagery in music history. Right from the beginning of the song, you immediately become a wandering cowboy in a hazy desert, desperately trying to find civilization and stumbling upon a towering hotel.
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Do your eyes deceive you? Is it something out of a dream? Even as the song hits its final notes, those questions remain unanswered. The line You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave makes the listener wonder if anything they heard was true but those doubts are quickly quieted by a hypnotizing guitar solo.
It’s the sonic equivalent of a mirage.
“Hotel California” is a masterclass in songwriting hosted by Don Felder, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. It is such a singular pursuit, it’s unlikely anyone will ever be able to create something that holds a candle to it.
But what about a robot?
We tasked Chat GPT with creating a new version of “Hotel California.” Did they measure up to the Eagles’ original? You tell us.
A weary wanderer, seeking a destination…
AI took the basic idea of the song – a hotel that is more than it seems – and created new lyrics around it. The program switched up the rhyme scheme but, has a similar cadence to the Eagles’ version.
On a solitary path, beneath the gentle moon’s glow,
A weary wanderer, seeking a destination to know.
In a realm of shadows, a towering hotel stands,
Its eerie presence entices, casting enchantment’s strands.
AI’s version of the song reads more like a children’s story than the classic rock masterpiece the Eagles delivered in 1976. You can almost hear a mother reading the lines to a child before bedtime. The entire rewritten version plays a little lighter than the original. The Eagles managed to make their song markedly eerie. AI’s feels more magical than haunting.
Welcome to a realm misplaced, where mystic charms reside,
A haven or a prison? Truth’s essence remains untied.
Mirrors hold concealed tales, walls whisper secrets veiled,
Guests arrive burdened, lost within their masks unveiled.
AI used the Eagles’ song as a template for its own version. But, what happens if you prompt the technology to write its own song with a similar theme without mentioning “Hotel California?” Things get far more elementary.
In the desert, hot and dry,
A mirage appeared, way up high.
A hotel, magical and grand,
In the middle of the golden sand
Mirage Hotel, oh what a sight,
Gleaming in the sun so bright.
Come along and step inside,
Where wonders and surprises hide.
Not quite the timeless tale the Eagles created. Check out the full rewritten version of “Hotel California” below and let us know what you think.
“Mirage Hotel” by the AI-gles
In the vast desert expanse, where dreams collide,
There’s a mirage hotel, where illusions reside.
Its shimmering allure, a trickster’s grand display,
Inviting weary travelers to come and stay.
(Pre-Chorus)
A vision in the desert heat, oasis in the sand,
But be cautious where you tread, for nothing is as it seems, my friend.
(Chorus)
Oh, Mirage Hotel in the desert’s haze,
A mirage of hopes, a mystic maze.
Where illusions dance and secrets hide,
In the depths of this desert tide.
(Verse 2)
The facade stands tall, in a realm of make-believe,
A tapestry of wonders, where truth is deceived.
Hallways of whispers, a labyrinth of disguise,
Each door opens to uncertainty, a cryptic surprise.
(Pre-Chorus)
Lost souls find solace, in this mirage of fate,
But beware the allure, for reality’s walls may start to shake.
(Chorus)
Oh, Mirage Hotel in the desert’s haze,
A mirage of hopes, a mystic maze.
Where illusions dance and secrets hide,
In the depths of this desert tide.
(Bridge)
But within this enigma, a flicker of truth may glow,
Seek the hidden passage, where the genuine winds may blow.
Unravel the mirage, let the illusions fade away,
Discover the essence of what truly remains.
(Chorus)
Oh, Mirage Hotel in the desert’s haze,
A mirage of hopes, a mystic maze.
Where illusions dance and secrets hide,
In the depths of this desert tide.
(Outro)
So venture through the veils, with an open mind,
Embrace the mirage’s mystery, what you’ll truly find.
For within the illusion, a journey will unfold,
In the Mirage Hotel, where stories are told.
(Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns)
The AI sounds like it’s trying too hard to throw in as many lofty words as possible. As a result, it sounds pretentious. The more simple AI version, although not as descriptive, actually flows better as a song. This doesn’t make sense though “It is such a singular pursuit, it’s unlikely anyone will ever be able to create something that holds a candle to it.” A pursuit is a path you follow, in hopes of reaching a goal at the end. Trying to become an EMT or a small-plane pilot is a pursuit. It’s something you do. “Accomplishment” would be a better descriptor.