Do you love California as much as we do? It’s hard not to love this incredible state, and apparently, musicians feel the same: there are countless songs about the state of California!
We are celebrating California with one of the most famous songs about The Golden State: “Hotel California” by The Eagles. Many have heard the song, but few listen to the lyrics and try to figure out what the song means. This gap-fill exercise is a great way to improve your listening skills, and it is also a great preparation for the Cambridge English CAE exam: Part 2 of the Listening Module includes a very similar assignment. (Learn more about the Cambridge ESOL exams and Part 2 of the Listening Module.)
Cambridge FCE and CAE Listening Part II Practice
Listen to the song twice and then fill in the blanks with what you hear. Before you do, read over the lyrics. What word should go in the gap? A noun? Adjective? Verb? Preposition? Guess before you listen, and make sure to check your answers after the song is over: the words should work grammatically in the sentence.
Have fun!
“Hotel California”
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising ______________ through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew ______________
I had to stop for the night
There she ______________ in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she ______________ up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
______________ of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she ______________ friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the Captain,
“Please bring me my wine”
He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here ______________ nineteen sixty nine”
And still those voices are calling from far away,
______________ you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it ______________ at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis
______________ on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
And in the master’s chambers,
They gathered for the ______________
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
______________for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax, ” said the night man,
“We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!”
Here are the answers. How did you do?
“Hotel California”
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
“This could be Heaven or this could be Hell”
Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
There were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (Any time of year)
You can find it here
Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends
She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys she calls friends
How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
Some dance to remember, some dance to forgetSo I called up the Captain,
“Please bring me my wine”
He said, “We haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine”
And still those voices are calling from far away,
Wake you up in the middle of the night
Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
They livin’ it up at the Hotel California
What a nice surprise (what a nice surprise)
Bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
And in the master’s chambers,
They gathered for the feast
They stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
“Relax, ” said the night man,
“We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! “
Cover photo source.