Patterico's Pontifications

5/7/2005

Backwards Music

Filed under: Humor,Music — Patterico @ 3:33 pm



Mrs. P. found this site this morning, and it’s pretty cool. It’s a collection of portions of songs that supposedly have messages when you play them backwards, together with “lyrics” of what is supposedly being said.

The only one that clearly contains a correctly transcribed hidden backwards message is “Empty Spaces” by Pink Floyd. The second most convincing one is the Beatles song, which (played forwards) clearly sounds like a backwards message — but I’m not sure it says what the site claims it says when you play it backwards. Some of them (like the Queen song) don’t sound anything like the alleged lyrics.

Still, a fun time-waster.

Most interesting omission: the Mr. Ed theme song. Howard Stern once played that backwards and proved that it says “someone sang this song for Satan” and “the source is the Devil.” Probably just coincidence, but it really does sound like it.

P.S. This all reminds me of when I concocted a plan to torture a highly religious friend by learning to say certain phrases backwards.

Some background: my friend is highly Catholic and believes in demonic possession and exorcism. Really believes in it. For example: I was in his apartment once and was debating the issue with him, and I tried to prove how ridiculous that belief was, by inviting the Devil to possess me at that moment. “If you’re there, Satan, possess me now! I am inviting you to do it right now!” My friend freaked out and ordered me out of his apartment.

That’s the background. So, I learned to say “I worship Satan” and “I worship the Devil” backwards, using the Windows sound recorder, so that I could freak him out again (just like I had by inviting the Devil to possess my body).

My plan was to just all of a sudden blurt out these phrases, watch my friend’s eyes bug out, and then explain that I didn’t know what made me say that. I planned to say: wow, it’s like I was possessed. It sure does sound like a backwards message, huh? Well, then, why don’t we play it into the Windows sound recorder and play it backwards and see if it means anything? Then, when we did it, he would hear the devil-worshipping phrases and have a heart attack.

Yeah, I’m a jerk sometimes.

But it didn’t work. I couldn’t keep a straight face.

12 Responses to “Backwards Music”

  1. I recall a story back when I was a kid. According to the tale when a certain rock album was played backwards you heard such vile phrases as, “Clean your room.”, “Do the Dishes.”, and “Take a bath.” Well, they’re vile when you’re a kid.:)

    Alan Kellogg (447834)

  2. I remember in college, one of the songs on ELO’s Face the Music (maybe Fire on High), had a backward masking that was as clear as a bell. It said Music is reversible, but time isn’t. Turn back, turn back. It is as clear as possible

    dan the man (abe0ad)

  3. For example: I was in his apartment once and was debating the issue with him, and I tried to prove how ridiculous that belief was, by inviting the Devil to possess me at that moment. “If you’re there, Satan, possess me now! I am inviting you to do it right now!”

    Looks like we’re both going to hell.

    Xrlq (c51d0d)

  4. I’m Gonna Burn
    Save your soul. Use Roxio instead….

    damnum absque injuria (38c04c)

  5. And then there’s Black Sabbath’s N.I.B., whic clearly says “My name is Lucifer, please take my hand,” and all that AC/DC song where Bon Scott proudly announced he was on the “highway to hell” a few mponths before drinkung himself to death.

    Oh wait, that’s forward-masking. Never mind!

    Xrlq (c51d0d)

  6. A laugh a minute. Like telling a highly Jewish or Moslem friend that the burger they just ate has pork in it. Silly superstitions about pig meat. As if God would care what kind of meat they ate.

    mikem (fd2aad)

  7. That sounds like a Seinfeld episode. . .

    Patterico (756436)

  8. I missed that one.

    mikem (fd2aad)

  9. Patterico, you said “my friend is highly Catholic and believes in demonic possession and exorcism. Really believes in it.” I do too, but I still think you’re hilarious. I can’t stop laughing.

    Alan, what rock album was that? I’d like to get a copy for my kids. 🙂

    Harry Arthur (b318a5)

  10. Of course, Christian bands have used back-masking as well. Code of Ethics, in their “Arms Around the World” album, starts off with some really funky music; I played it backwards, and it turned out to be a cello and a violin harmonizing. There was another track further on that had some blatantly reversed stuff, but I don’t remember exactly what it said–something along the lines of “Now let us listen carefully to the beats of the music.” I know that’s wrong, but it’s as close as my mind’s coming right now…

    VTConservative (1018e9)

  11. if you havnt yet u should try this” play megadeath-99 ways to die backwards”. its scary.

    seth (d47393)

  12. You are CRAZY if you say that ACDC IS devil wordshipers

    monkey (06f086)


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