Did you ever hear the old wives tale about how you could play certain records backwards and hear Satan? When I was young I heard the tale, but my friends and I couldn’t ever figure out how to actually play a record backwards. But trying to figure out how to play one backwards and scaring ourselves with the thought of what we would hear if we did was a popular thing to do at slumber parties. Turns out lots of people want to know if you can hear Satan and they know how to play records backwards.
Research has shown most words that are discernible are purely accidental in nature and truthfully it was a real stretch to say the words were discernible in most cases.
But there have been a few artists who purposely inserted phrases that can only be heard if the record (or the digital sound today) is played backwards a process called backmasking.
The Beatles were among the first to try out the technique. During the 80s backmasking was at the forefront of the national conversation with parents and other groups accusing rockers of sending subliminal message out in their songs. Weird Al Yankovich thought the whole thing was so silly that he added a funny quip that could only be heard if the song was played backwards to one of his songs that said “Wow you must have a whole lot of free time on your hands.” Prince used backmasking to insert messages in some of his songs one being something about the Lord coming soon.
There are some creepy instances of backmasking too whether the occurrences were accidental or purposeful is up for debate. Go here for the Top 10 Famous Cases of Backmasking.
Tipper
People don’t know what the devil sounds like. Don’t hear Jesus through a person. Hear the adversary. Satan wants people to look for what they think is bad, condemning people. Satan wants god’s image to keep what God made from his image. Money keeps what God made and what people make from his image. Money is deceptive. Don’t have. Don’t get. Money takes the place of talking. Devils want people to have the wrong idea about what devil speach is, fooling people. Look at recording played backwards. They will not see or hear the truth. Thier perceptions of what is evil will get screwed up. They walk in the dark saying they see, seeing nothing. Devils walk into their mind making people to do evil to others thinking they are doing a good thing. They have the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees of Christs day.
An awful lot of what’s played as the inevitable background music in stores these days sounds hellatious to me. Twice lately I’ve cut a shopping trip short because I didn’t need the free headache that came with the purchases!
I recall hearing the same thing when I was young, but like you, didn’t know how to play a record backwards, nor was I brave enough to even try! Very interesting post though…
Tipper,
I think the ‘devil’ has his hands
in too much of our world today.
…Ken
Tipper,
and folks…Riddle this! Was it a Freudian slip that I typed “waste down” instead of “waist down?”
Was I thinking waste when I knew to type waist?
OOOOOOooooooooh, “the DEVIL is in the details!”
Thanks Tipper
Tipper,
I agree with Don a lot of music sounds like the “devil” to me as well. LOL
I hear all this about the “The Beatles” and yes they were supposed to influence youth with their records played backwards. I thought their music played forwards was “in your face bad!” Oh how I remember the four chop hair cut boys from England. I couldn’t stand them. You see I had already graduated from high school and was working at my first job when they made the scene! I felt that were ruining good ole “rock-n-roll!”
You see I remember seeing Elvis on TV…At least part of him. They wouldn’t show him from the waste down….He was of the “DEVIL” you know…and the television news, music segments wouldn’t show him like he performed..too many complaints from parents, church leaders, etc.
Of course when the teens heard this they just wanted to see him more on TV and in concerts.
I was sitting in front of the TV the night Ed Sullivan introduced
“ELVIS” in his full glittering self, hips and all! Moving his hips to the side, one leg almost on the floor, guitar in hand, scarf swinging and the half-sneer half-grin self singing his “rock-n-roll” heart out! You know what, back in 1954, when the “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Heart-break Hotel” was popular, I really didn’t care for him much!
I just can’t stand some of this hip moving singers today! It is scary what will appear next!
Thanks for the post today.
I hadn’t thought of the “Devil” music from the past in a while and playing backerds records!
I just wonder if the “Devil” is hiding in plain sight, disquised
as the new music of our youth!
Just teach them to know the difference!
Thanks Tipper,
When I was in college in the 80s, we heard that if you played “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zep backwards it said all kinds of evil things. I remember putting it on the turntable and spinning it backwards by hand. Of course, we were scared and imagined all kinds of things. I do know that I ruined the needle on my stereo doing it!
I don’t have anything to play a record on any more. I wonder what it would take to make a play a CD backward.
We played those Beatle records backwards. You had to turn the system on, so the amp would work, then turn the record backwards by hand. The phrases would play, but it was tough to really be sure what was being said. I never had the records that supposedly had Satan on them. Perhaps worse than Satanic messages, are the records recorded by the KKK. The messages aren’t backmasked, they play normally, and are filled with their venomous hatred. Satan was influencing the writers and performers, clearly.
Yes, Tipper, I remember hearing that and scaring ourselves silly, running screaming to my mother! Don’t recall what we heard, but as girls, we screamed and scared ourselves a lot, hehe.
Don-LOL! So very true : )
Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com
There was one song in the late 80’s that everyone swore was the devil’s song. I can’t remember the name of it, maybe a Boy George tune, I don’t know. My girls tried it and claimed they heard whatever it was they were told to listen for.
spashell ed, cousin Ed? We must have had the same teacher! We both lernt to spell words exactly like they are pronounced. You are so funny!
I must say you got me on this one. How does one play a record backwards and why would you do that? I would think it would ruin the record. Now I read that it can be done and it is creepy. I think I will play it just normally and enjoy the music. No creeps for me!
Forget the playing backwards; there’s a whole mess of stuff that, played forward, sounds like the devil to me.
Well, I am kind of limited in musical terms but I never heard of such a notion. Thanks for the info.
Eva Nell
Never tried it, I was too afraid of messing up my records. They were hard to come by at my house.
i ant got no recerd plaer two try it on butt my ole Beuik has a ate tract plaer. rekkin if i wuz two swich the batree cabels that thang wud run backerg an i cud lissin two the devil thattaway. axe that deer huntin man of yourn fur me. he problee nose abawt that kinda stuff
i haunt no if i speld Beuik rite. i went owt too look on the car butt i geuss the mblum has fel off.
did them Beatle boys make eny ate tract tapes.
I remember hearing that, Tipper, but just thought it was nonsense. It seems like a lot of effort for something few would hear end even fewer would give any credence to. But then again there is lots of stuff going on in our world today that I never believed could happen, so, what do I know?