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Stefan Pawlata
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:14 pm
Post subject: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Hello one and all!
Could anyone enlighten me on this question that is buggin' me
ever since I first listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles?
There are many other rock songs that mention a "mission bell".
As a German native speaker I have no idea what this could be.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Stefan
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Matthew Huntbach
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:05 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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John Briggs <john.briggs4@ntlworld.com> wrote:
| Quote: | Stefan Pawlata wrote:
Hello one and all!
Could anyone enlighten me on this question that is buggin' me
ever since I first listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles?
There are many other rock songs that mention a "mission bell".
As a German native speaker I have no idea what this could be.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Stefan
It probably should be "mission church bell". In California, most of the old
churches would have been mission (i.e. missionary) churches by the Spanish
(i.e. Roman Catholic) Church to the indigenous population. They would have
a bell (whether Sanctus or Angelus, we could discuss further  ). Hence
"mission church", and "mission bell".
|
The lyrics to "Hotel California" don't make too much sense - they're the
sort of lyrics popular in that drug-inspired time, which put together vague
images to which you are supposed to give your own interpretation. However
(without having ever really thought about these lyrics) I've always supposed
the Hotel California of the song to be a brothel, in which case the "mission
bell" is perhaps meant to indicate the singer being tempted by the "heaven"
of the prostitute but having a warning ringing in his head from a background
of education in a mission school that illicit sex leads to hell.
Matthew Huntbach |
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John Briggs
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:24 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Stefan Pawlata wrote:
| Quote: | Hello one and all!
Could anyone enlighten me on this question that is buggin' me
ever since I first listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles?
There are many other rock songs that mention a "mission bell".
As a German native speaker I have no idea what this could be.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Stefan
|
It probably should be "mission church bell". In California, most of the old
churches would have been mission (i.e. missionary) churches by the Spanish
(i.e. Roman Catholic) Church to the indigenous population. They would have
a bell (whether Sanctus or Angelus, we could discuss further ). Hence
"mission church", and "mission bell".
--
John Briggs
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tangshan
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:42 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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There is a mission, one of the many you can find in southern california,
texas, new mexico - and, like most missions, this one has a bell tower, and
a bell.
This image contributes to giving Hotel California the feeling of an old
forgotten little town, like one you would find in Zorro's southern
California setting.
Mission bells... candles... you know.
A great song, though. |
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John Briggs
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:21 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Matthew Huntbach wrote:
| Quote: | John Briggs <john.briggs4@ntlworld.com> wrote:
Stefan Pawlata wrote:
Hello one and all!
Could anyone enlighten me on this question that is buggin' me
ever since I first listened to "Hotel California" by the Eagles?
There are many other rock songs that mention a "mission bell".
As a German native speaker I have no idea what this could be.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Stefan
It probably should be "mission church bell". In California, most of the
old churches would have been mission (i.e. missionary) churches by the
Spanish (i.e. Roman Catholic) Church to the indigenous population. They
would have a bell (whether Sanctus or Angelus, we could discuss further
). Hence "mission church", and "mission bell".
The lyrics to "Hotel California" don't make too much sense - they're the
sort of lyrics popular in that drug-inspired time, which put together
vague images to which you are supposed to give your own interpretation.
However (without having ever really thought about these lyrics) I've
always supposed the Hotel California of the song to be a brothel, in
which case the "mission bell" is perhaps meant to indicate the singer
being tempted by the "heaven" of the prostitute but having a warning
ringing in his head from a background of education in a mission school
that illicit sex leads to hell.
|
We all thought that "Hotel California" was intended as a wonderful allegory
of life in, well, California - or at least La-La Land. It turns out,
however, that it was based on an actual (rather strange) hotel that the band
had stayed in!
(Most people ask about "colitas".)
--
John Briggs |
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Stefan Pawlata
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:01 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Thanks for all the answers!
BTW: What are "colitas" ?
--
Stefan Pawlata |
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John Briggs
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:36 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Stefan Pawlata wrote:
| Quote: | Thanks for all the answers!
BTW: What are "colitas" ?
|
It seems to translate as "little tips" or "buds" - presumably of the
marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa) - where the tetrahydrocannabinol is most
concentrated. Now aren't you glad you asked?
--
John Briggs |
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Stefan Pawlata
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:40 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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"John Briggs" <john.briggs4@ntlworld.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:%hdJc.121$sk6.31@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
| Quote: | Stefan Pawlata wrote:
Thanks for all the answers!
BTW: What are "colitas" ?
It seems to translate as "little tips" or "buds" - presumably of the
marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa) - where the tetrahydrocannabinol is most
concentrated. Now aren't you glad you asked?
--
John Briggs
Oh yes, very enlightening indeed! |
Thanks
Stefan |
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Einde O'Callaghan
Guest
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:53 pm
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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Stefan Pawlata wrote:
| Quote: | "John Briggs" <john.briggs4@ntlworld.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:%hdJc.121$sk6.31@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...
Stefan Pawlata wrote:
Thanks for all the answers!
BTW: What are "colitas" ?
It seems to translate as "little tips" or "buds" - presumably of the
marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa) - where the tetrahydrocannabinol is most
concentrated. Now aren't you glad you asked?
--
John Briggs
Oh yes, very enlightening indeed! :-)
I came across a translation in one of the online Spanish-English |
dictionaries (I forget which one) which said that "colita" is Spanish
slang for what the British call a "willy" - somehow I don't think that's
what it means in the song. ;-)
Regards, Einde O'Callaghan |
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Giles Todd
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 4:02 am
Post subject: Re: What is a "mission bell" ? |
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On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:53:43 +0200, Einde O'Callaghan
<einde.ocallaghan@planet-interkom.de> wrote:
| Quote: | I came across a translation in one of the online Spanish-English
dictionaries (I forget which one) which said that "colita" is Spanish
slang for what the British call a "willy" - somehow I don't think that's
what it means in the song. 
|
The Dictionary of the Real Academia Espanola (http://www.rae.es/)
gives two definitions:
1. the coccix (Costa Rica and Honduras)
2. a footnote (Honduras)
I expect that the slang versions haven't been approved yet.
Giles. |
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