You Can Check Out Anytime You Like, But You Can Never Leave

My earliest memory of this song is hilarious. My family often had weekly BBQ's and holiday parties when I was a kid (they still do, actually). Usually, they would be at one particular uncle's house. He moved a lot so there was always a new house to navigate to and break in with some shenanigans. This particular house was three stories with an unfinished basement that he was slowly turning into his man cave. He had a couple of sports posters on the wall, some barstools and a bar in this room. That was it. The walls weren't even finished with drywall and no one really liked being down there because it was cold as hell, no matter the season. That is, until we brought over our karaoke machine. I don't remember the exact occasion but I think it was around the holidays. The kids were anxious to do karaoke but we kept being told "later", so we found other ways to amuse ourselves. When we'd had enough of "later", we went back downstairs to find a bunch of drunken folk singing along to oldies music. The most powerful (in so many ways) selection for me was The Eagles "Hotel California". They did the entire seven minute masterpiece, air guitar solos (yes, plural) included and it was glorious. The fun part was most were so drunk that they didn't even remember having done it until their children reminded them the next day, and for years thereafter. It was pretty fantastic. As is this song. I was the kid in high school who was blasting "The Eagles Greatest Hits' when everyone else was blasting the latest hit song. And unapologetically so. Behold seven minutes o' perfection.