It’s called Backmasking. A process where you essentially take a recorded message and convert it to be heard in the reverse order. Probably the best example of this is in the Beatles’s song Revolution Number 9. Reverse the record on the turntable (record player for those under 30) and you’d allegedly hear the phrase, "Paul is a dead man, miss him, miss him, miss him."
After the Fab Four used it on other albums, other bands followed suit. And soon all the headliners like Pink Floyd, Queen and Styx were (rumored) to be using it quite a bit. Which then got the right-wingers so crazy that they had Arkansas legislation pass a Backmasking law in 1983.
It stated that all bands had to provide a warning label on their album covers if backmasking was present. Of course, once the government got involved it meant backmasking was too mainstream. So since it was out of subculture most bands simply got bored with the whole thing. Eventually it became as passé as the electric keyboard guitar or the whammy bar.
Today Backmasking comes in drips and draps. Probably 'cause most bands couldn't give two sh-ts about hiding their subversive lyrics anymore.
FYI...Here are some of the top past and present satanic/odd songs and phrases…
Artist: Ash
Album: Evil Eye (2004)
Backwards Phrase: "She's giving me the evil eye, suck Satan's c*ck."
Artist: Deep Purple
Album: Stormbringer (1974)
Backwards Phrase: "The c*cksucker, motherf*cker, stormbringer!" 
Artist: The Doors
Song: Break on Through (1967)
Backwards Phrase: "I am Satan"
Artist: Insane Clown Posse
Song: Echo Side (1999)
Backwards Phrase: "F-ck the Devil! F-ck that sh-t! We believe in life legit. If you diggin' what we say, why you throw your soul away?"
AND THE MOST F’D UP ONE OF THEM ALL…
Artist: Information Society
Song: Are Friends Electric (1997)
Backwards Phrase: "Obey your parents. Do your homework. Winners don't do drugs."
So true.
ReplyDeletedang man, its all about the hair!! lol.
ReplyDeleteI love this fascinating stuff....
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Pro Tip: listen to Nirvana backwards. The songs, oddly enough, actually kind of hold up. You Tube has TONS of clips.
I thought that was done on reel to reel?
ReplyDeleteOh my, that last one's messed up. Terrible!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite one is somewhre in Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. Done very much so on purpose, but it's so creepy I can only imagine the people that shat their pants. Also, a noteworthy mention would be the pokemon theme. Look fer it.
Ohhhhh backmasking. Such a hilarious fad that often turned out to be BS. It worked for The Beatles though, people probably bought the records just to try and decrypt them. Even though none of them meant anything. Also, that last one is epic.
ReplyDeleteI like what the Insane Clown Posse said.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Fantastic!
ReplyDelete....and put your whole head in front of the shotgun, incredible.
ReplyDeleteI can not believe a state actually has passed a law against it. But then again it was Arkansas.
ReplyDeleteThat last one shocked me to my very core.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the last one made quite some people laugh searching for satanic messages :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fascinating post. I'd heard this was going on but never tried to play my turntable backwards. They'd have to be more obvious for me to get their satanic message, otherwise it would all sound like gibberish. LOL at the last one. Too funny.
ReplyDeleteJoyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Nothing can compare though to Chicago. "I command you, in the name of Lucifer, to spill the blood of the innocent!" Damn I love that movie.
ReplyDeleteI remember doing this with the Beatles Number 9 with my brothers and I couldn't hear that. But then back then I hadn't discovered drugs yet. So maybe that's why?
ReplyDeleteMan, I thought that they were bad until I saw that last one. Now that is some scary shiznit! :) haha
ReplyDeleteI remember all the furor over hidden messages in the 80's. I had forgotten about that til now.
ReplyDeletehaha, winners don't do drugs! That's the best right there. I love backmasking. When I stayed at my uncle's years back I went through his collection of Laurence Welk. I'm still convinced it was telling me to do wicked things.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Paul is dead. His body just doesn't know it.
haha just the title had me cracking up, great post. And leave it to ICP to have the opposite of satanic things in their backwards musings.
ReplyDeleteThat last one just cracked me up.
ReplyDeleteHow the hell do they even figure out how to put lyrics together to say something backwards? I'm shaking my head here in wonderment.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid we would listen to music backwards.
ReplyDeletelast one was the scariest seriously totally freaked me out..hehe
ReplyDeleteThat last one, the nerve.
ReplyDeleteAll that fuss - and they proved backmasking had no effect because most people's brains don't accept words backwards.
ReplyDeleteI tried the Beatles a couple times and never heard it. Thought I would damage my albums so I never really got it the whole hidden lyrics thing. However if there is something hidden on the Wall I would love to know/hear it. Keep me posted.
ReplyDeleteIt figures that backmasking during the 80s would have subliminal messages like the one in that information society album. The girl I was dating at the time was really straight edge as well, and I guess I know why now...
ReplyDeleteinteresting I wasn't aware of any of this before!
ReplyDelete