Monday, February 19, 2007

Wurn Snell of Colitas

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas rising up through the air.

Name that song...

I'm sure most of you got Hotel California by the Eagles which would be correct.

Well I has driving along a desert highway and as I thought appropriate I was playing that song and in magnificent tone deaf timing I was singing along to it. Now I wanted to know what colitas is.

A search of the web found me that answer on The Straight Dope. My favourite part of that explanation is the mangling of the second part of that line as: "Wurn Snell of Colitas rising up through the air."

This is attributed to Thomas Dzubin of Vancouver, BC with this interpretation of the meaning: "There was this fireworks factory just three blocks from the Hotel California and it blew up! Big tragedy. One of the workers was named Wurn Snell and he was from the town of Colitas in Greece. One of the workers who escaped the explosion talked to another guy. I think it was probably Don Henley and Don asked what the guy saw. The worker said, "Wurn Snell of Colitas, rising up through the air."

I had a good chuckle at that.

Colitas is translated from Mexican Spanish as 'little buds' - a reference to Mary Jane.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Firstly my condolences to the Snell family.
Secondly. Excuse my ignorance but who is Mary Jane?

Guy Ellis said...

You have obviously led a very sheltered life with little exposure to the outside world. Mary Jane is slang for marijuana. If you split the word marijuana into 2 you get Mari + Juana and if you were a Spanish speaking person and you translated those two words into English you end up with Mary Jane.

Rob said...

So you think Peter Parker was a pothead???

Guy Ellis said...

Which Peter Parker are you referring to?

Peter Benjamin Parker, alter ego of the fictional character Spider-Man

Sir Peter Parker (British businessman) (1924–2002), British businessman

Peter Parker (physician) (1804–1888), the first Protestant medical missionary to China

Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet (1721–1811), friend and patron of Admiral Nelson

Sir Peter Parker, 2nd Baronet (1785–1814), English naval officer

Peter Parker (umpire) (born 1959), Australian cricket umpire

Peter Parker (writer), English biographer

Peter Parker, stage name for the DJ/Turntablist of the UK jazz/hip-hop band Fingathing

The Peter Parkers, a rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick.

Anonymous said...

drugs are illegal in south africa. so are murder and rape.

Guy Ellis said...

Don't try and hide your illiteracy behind some comment about the legality of drugs.

Anonymous said...

does being ignorant of colloquial terms for narcotics render me illiterate? you yanks are weird.

Guy Ellis said...

Yes it does. According to our definitions, if you are president and you have sexual relations with an intern then by definition the first time you are questioned about it you can state the opposite.

Anonymous said...

thanks for straightening that out; i stand corrected.