The video is an unofficial creation by a film student. To the best of my knowledge, this song has no video associated with it.
While the chorus features the band's signature harmonies, the verses are sung by neither Glenn Frey nor Don Henley. Instead Randy Meisner is at the helm, and I think the song is all the better for it because his voice captures the song's sense of loneliness so well.
One by one
The lonely feelings come
Day by day
They slowly fade away
That passage speaks loudly to me because it helps me to realize that one day the pain that I now feel from my inner loneliness will subside. I need to have enough faith in the future to move forward. When I can be happy with who I am, I can then face the question of loving another. I cannot find my happiness through someone else.
My dad was a huge Eagles fan in their heyday. I think it was the closest thing to country that he'd tolerate, and I probably heard every track from Hotel California at one time or another in my childhood. However a real awareness of this song didn't come until the fall of 1987, my first year in college.
I was driving back to school from a weekend at home, listening to a newly launched classic rock station in the Circle City, WKLR-FM. On Sunday afternoon, they had a program called "Ultimate Album Side", and they played the side that featured this song. It was a warm, beautiful afternoon, without a single cloud in the sky. To this day, I still associate the songs introductory guitar chords with Indian Summer.
Twenty years ago... seems like such a long time to be sleepwalking through life.
Well, it might take years
To see through all these tears
Don't let go
When you find it you will know
