Colitas, "Little Tails", or its slang, "Little Buds".
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my
hair, warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air...
This part of the lyrics of the song "Hotel
California", by the Eagles, brought on curiosity about the word, as the bigger quest for understanding the entire song itself has met with as many "ideas" as to its meaning... but...
The word "colitas" means
literally, "Little Tails", thus use of the slang, "colitas", (as referenced in the song) meaning the burning of little marijuana 'tails/buds'.
NOTES:
Literal Meaning is "little tails"
Slang meanings as follows...
1. End buds of the marijuana plant.
2. Has been used to reference a part of the female anatomy, (use your imagination)
3. A
person's butt.
Reference material for my definition was confirmed from Eagles management, as follows:
Irving Azoff a manager for the group: during the writing of the song 'Hotel
California' by Messrs. Henley and Frey, the word `colitas' was translated for them by their Mexican-American road manager as 'little buds.