Backmasking

[RC-1162]

I was just surfing the net a few days ago, looking for the reversed audio to Hotel California (Eagles) which, my friend had claimed, contained satanic messages when played backwards. Of course, this was one of my favourite songs and I was skeptical, but I decided to search anyway. I came across this site which had the straight as well as reversed audio to certain songs which made sense backwards, and more than half of them did contain satanic messages. This was supposedly a method called backmasking.

 

Now my question here is, what exactly is the point in backmasking satanic things into songs? Some people say it affects you negatively through subliminal manipulation, but I've never had any problems with California.

 

I also heard that the cover 'Am I Evil' by Metallica is also satanic when you play the chorus backwards. This one I tried reversing myself and it was true.

[tk102]

Actually it's the devil that puts those messages in there to mess with people.

 

2611-CR ouy ekil

 

 

 

 

Edit: Sorry for being flip, I see you posted this in Kavar's corner so I think you were hoping for a more serious discussion. Well it's my opinion that it's random chance of a bunch of words sort of sound like this or that, add in the power of suggestion, and you get "backmasking".

[Samuel Dravis]

To be honest I couldn't hear anything comprehensible in the songs that weren't obviously intentional. Of course, I don't have a prejudice against the music in general and I certainly didn't look at the supposed lyrics before I listened to it - that's a sure way to 'suggest' to yourself that there is indeed something there to listen to. My opinion is that few are intentional backmasking. Humans make associations and deal with patterns all the time. It's not surprising that some people would find patterns where none were intended.

 

As for why people would do it in principle, I don't know. Because they can? Classic rock was blasted quite a bit by the, err, morally upright previous generation. They probably would have thought it was funny to put something actually objectionable in there, even if no one would ever hear it if they played the music normally. A easily deniable in-joke is as good an explanation as any.

 

As for Metallica-- You don't need to reverse their songs to find "objectionable" content, if that's what you're looking for.

[True_Avery]

Ahahaha.

I saw this site some years ago and found it absolutely hilarious.

I am finding it even funnier now that I see someone actually believes it is true.

 

These songs are not filled with "Satanic" messages. They are f'ed up because you are -Playing Them Backwards-. I am pretty sure if I started talking backwards that people would run away from me as well. Take any song, I dare you, and play it backwards. You are bound to "hear" some words in the jumble of sound that will spray into your ears, but Satan has nothing to do with it. The words you -do- hear in some of those clips have been put there for anybody weird enough to play them backwards though.

 

I do find the Fire On High and Empty Spaces ones particularly amusing though.

[tk102]

Ahahaha...

 

Empty Spaces ones particularly amusing though.

Forgot about that one! Lol to Roger Waters.

[Sabretooth]

From my perspective, they are most likely coincidences. I don't see any other reason why they would do that, because backmasking is very difficult. Besides, it's very difficult to identify the hidden message without the lyrics.

[RC-1162]

Hear the Britney Spears one. I never thought she was that...active

 

@ Avery: Well, the songs on the site i mentioned did mention Satan in most of them.

[JediMaster12]

To be honest it is pure nonsense RC. This reminds me the scene of the Exorcist where the priest is playing the recording that he took of the posessed girl and he found that one was actually spoken backwards. I think that people use things that are strange and unusual to play upon the fears of others. People tend to be afraid of the strange and unusual. Why do you think they burned the midwives claiming they were witches?

 

I read spellbooks and other literature on witches and to be honest, it doesn't spook me. I am stuck in the realm of trying to understand other groups so I don't see anythig wrong in studying another culture. My parents now ignore the fact that I read about the Wiccan triple goddess. The whole idea about this backmasking is more likely whimsical nonsense and probably coincidence. I mean why freak out on the fact that sometimes I get totals that are $6.66 at my weekend job? It's nothing significant, just a rare coincidence.

[mimartin]

I think tk102 got it right about a lot of the backmasking in the 70s and 80s that most of it being just consequences.

 

It was also done for the almighty dollar. This got the record buzz and made people talk about it and then go out and purchase it. My church even burned copies of Hotel California adding to The Eagles profits. I can’t say I didn’t get caught up in this too. I purchased albums just to try this. If subliminal messages really worked I believe corporate American would have drink more corporate brand name X in every song, movie and game they sold and not satanic messages.

 

In short it was done for $. Even when it happen by complete accident the artist would never answer the question straight in order to keep the controversy going and the money rolling in. It is just like putting warning labels on CDs it only makes them sell more. At least that is the way it worked when I was young.

[Darth InSidious]

I would posit that this sort of thing is much like 'hidden messages' in the Bible - the kind where if you add up the letters 'A' in the Bible, and divide them by the speed of light, then multiply them by the name Moses (if A is 1 and Z is 26...), then you get the lyrics to 'The Sun Has Got His Hat On', or what-have-you...

[RC-1162]

Lol, well, you guys do make a point, but it would seem that nowadays people are using it deliberately just for the heck of it, not satanic stuff. Like the My Name Is... by Eminem. I'm pretty sure that was done deliberately.

 

Quick question: is it very easy to reverse the songs on portable players or on music systems? I feel that the only easy way is to use Windows Sound Recorder. So if it's that inaccessible, why bother?

[True_Avery]

Quick question: is it very easy to reverse the songs on portable players or on music systems? I feel that the only easy way is to use Windows Sound Recorder. So if it's that inaccessible, why bother?

Think of some of them as simply easter eggs for people weird and stupid enough to play them backwards

 

But still, most of them are purely coincidence.