Backmasking Assignment

          To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings in regard to the whole question surrounding backmasking and reverse lyrics. While there are many examples of songs where phrases or single words can be loosely picked out of the song played in reverse I believe the large majority of these examples were not intentional but merely discovered coincidentally. However, I also believe that there are examples which were intentionally crafted; I do hold a small criterion for such examples to fall into this category: the message must be clearly audible (not scratchy or too ambiguous like grabbing at straws for example), must be a logical phrase, and must contain some sort of relevancy to a concrete subject or topic and not just gibberish or random words.

Examples and Opinions:

1. Stairway to Heaven

·       This is one of those rare examples I feel to be legitimate. The message stays consistent with itself, its relevance to Satan, and other satanic things such as suffering or the number of the beast 666. Due to the level of sophistication in this example I feel quite certain it was no doubt intentionally crafted by Led Zeppelin.

2. Imagine

·       Due to the shortness of the message I strongly doubt the legitimacy of the message. Although it is audible the words are quite distorted and unclear. Had the message been longer or perhaps further developed I may have thought otherwise and believed Lennon crafted it intentionally.

3. I’m So Tired

·       While I was at first quick to discard this example as illegitimate I found that when played forward what is heard is practically gibberish as if it was recorded backwards initially. The message “Paul is a dead man” while at first seeming crazy or fake, actually ignited further buzz in controversy surrounding Paul in 1966 in which the media claimed he was dead and replaced with a look-alike. The Beatles likely intentionally crafted the message.

 4. My Name Is…

·       Had any other artist other than Eminem made this song, the message would never have arisen; it would have appeared as gibberish in relevance to the artist performing it. However, since the message repeats the words “Eminem” and “Slim”, both titles of the artist Eminem, it is blatantly obvious the message was intentionally crafted.

5. Empty Spaces

·       This could very well be one of the first pioneering examples of backmasking. When listened to forward, it is impossible to make out any words. When played backwards, a clean and crisp message is unveiled – “Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message.” This part of the song was intentionally recorded then played backwards within the normal version of the song so that when reversed, the audio could be understood. Good job Pink Floyd, way to be original…again.

6. Baby One More Time

·       As a result of the choppiness of the message I fail to see the legitimacy. The length prevents it from holding any strong provable evidence.

7. Nature Trail to Hell

·       Weird Al Yankovic’s humorous take on the music industry is quite evident in this example: “Satan eats Cheez Whiz”. The crispness of the message in addition to its comical undertone very common in Yankovic’s music insures the song’s intentionally crafted message.

8. Another One Bites the Dust

·       I feel that this message is an example of “grabbing at straws”. The message is poorly audible and is not apparently associated with any theme relatable to Queen or their other music.

9. Hotel California

·       Like the previous example with Queen, the message is poorly audible and is very likely coincidental and unintentional.

10. Revolution 9

·       The message “Turn me on dead man” seems a bit nonsensical though due to the Beatles of history of backmasked lyrics it’s not out of the question that the message was intentionally crafted. Although I lean towards the message being coincidental due to its lack of a concrete subject or relevant theme.  

Freedom

We stood up and saw…

The frigates nearing the shore

With my rifle in hand an’ family in heart

We were ready for the war

Marching they came from lands far away

Bearing redcoats an’ muskets, a lust for blood

They’ll fire upon us like rain in a forest

But now listen close an’ here this…

(Guitar Breakdown)

Bullets will not stop us, freedom

Cannon will not halt us, freedom

The king and his men, his soldiers

March on to what end? (2x)

They’ll fight – we’ll fight harder

Our blood, sweat, and tears

The freedom’s not for us

But for the children of our years

We stood up and saw…

The frigates nearing the shore

With my rifle in hand an’ family in heart

We were ready for the war

Top 10 Favorite Songs

10. Bob Dylan (1964). “The Times They Are a-Changin”. The Times They Are a-Changin. No other song in the world speaks more true to the time it was released in. Written as an ode to the modern, changing world Dylan spoke with the people of the day and reminded them the fleeting time they were all apart of, marked with war, debate, and strife.

9. Led Zeppelin (1970). “Moby Dick”. Led Zeppelin II. Finally defining their styles and delivery in the instrumental “Moby Dick”, Page and especially Bonham (in his nearly 10 min drum solo) showed their true capabilities to the world and greatness of the music they could produce.

8. Led Zeppelin (1975). “10 Years Gone”. Physical Graffiti. The greatness of “10 Years Gone” comes in how it displays the talent, greatness, and ability of every member of Zeppelin from Jones to Bonham. The bass, the guitar, the drums, and the vocals are more tied together here than in any other song in Zeppelin’s massive set lists over the years; great example of band chemistry.

7. Jimi Hendrix (1968). “All Along the Watchtower”. Electric Ladyland. Originally a Bob Dylan single, Hendrix’s added guitar truly earned the song global recognition even from Dylan himself who though that Jimi’s guitar was well deserved and fit almost naturally with the song as if it had been written to accustom it. Jimi’s signature licks and guitar style dominate the song as do his raspy but powerful lyrics.  

6. Queen (1975). “Bohemian Rhapsody”. A Night at the Opera. It is impossible not to recognize the operatic style of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. From ballads, to hard rock solos, this song has it all and is still known as one of if not the most elaborate single in rock history. The contrast from beginning to end is a true ride and serves as a testament to the song’s and Queen’s impact in the rock world.

5. Led Zeppelin (1971). “When the Levee Breaks”. Led Zeppelin IV. A true homage to Zeppelin’s bluesy style, “When the Levee Breaks” lugs on dictated by Bonham’s hammering bass drum and Page’s looping guitar. From harmonica’s to distortion over Plant’s voice, the song produces quite a profound effect.

4. Black Sabbath (1970). “Planet Caravan”. Paranoid. Besides its blatant psychedelic mood and delivery, “Planet Caravan”, while drifting from Sabbath’s usual hard delivery, explores the unknown much like many other Sabbath songs. Its unique sound and lulling lyrics paired with Iommi’s smooth jazz playing throughout define the greatness of the song.

 3. Black Sabbath (1970). “Hand of Doom”. Paranoid. This song is Sabbath incarnate. A chugging bass thanks to Geezer Butler, a powerful chorus, and an explosive verse and solo at the hands of Iommi alongside Ozzy’s allusions to war, drugs, and violence define the true awesomeness of “Hand of Doom”; an original metal classic.

2. Led Zeppelin (1975). “Kashmir”. Physical Graffiti. Zeppelin’s variety in their music is well known it defined them, but in “Kashmir” these eastern influences culminated rhymically and melodically into a real musical masterpiece. Known by its iconic strings beside Page’s guitar playing, the song stands as a brilliantly unique and an undeniable anthem to Zeppelin’s legacy.

1. Black Sabbath (1970). “War Pigs”. Paranoid. Simultaneously creating the metal genre and preaching the corruption and evil of the time, Sabbath shouted at the dictators and evil of the world with “War Pigs”. With Iommi’s god-like solos and melodic climaxes, paired with Ozzy’s ringing vocals, the song plunges into the depths of the dark-side of human nature, and it does so masterfully. 

Short Fiction

           The blood was oozing out of every crack in his bronze chest plate; he could barely breathe let alone walk. I threw him upon my shoulders disobeying his commands. It was like a dream, the flames, the death, the curdling screams, the bodies strewn about, the weight of my friend and mentor bearing down upon my shoulders. Julius awoke me from my daze, “Marcus he must live! Retreat to the camps, run my brother!” I broke off into a run, almost a gallop with all of the weight upon my back, like a wounded horse expending its last breaths. I could not stop. I would not stop. The burden of Atlas could not have halted me.

            

             "Marcus let me die!” he said again and again between his gurgles and bloody coughing fits. I would not listen. I dabbed his wounds, and stood in awe before the numbers of them across his torso, some from arrows, others from blades. He writhed in pain grabbing the back of his leg which bored a massive gouge traversing from ankle to knee. The cloth I had used had become an absolute red, like the finest silk.

            

           “How does he fare?” said Julius after returning back. I told the truth, “I fear the Magus Sisters will give him no quarter. He is fading.” Never before had I seen a man’s will shatter by the mere utterance of a few words. Julius stood back in awe, and then fell to his knees. Julius pounded the sand, his fists burned with rage, contempt, and anguish as did his tears. It spread like disease amongst the men; there wills toppled like the columns of a temple one after the next. Before my eyes were ruined men with broken spirits and I was one of them.

           That tent haunted my thoughts. I paced through the camp speaking with and consoling the men. Respect called me to it, respect for the man I had always admired, the man who’d shown me the way of the blade, of the warrior, the man who’d lay dead upon red sheets of silk. I pushed aside the curtain and entered the tent. It was black, the candles I had lit were doused and their aroma absent. Before I could begin to think where his body had gone an arm wrapped around my neck bringing me to my knees. “I live brother” he whispered to my years, in a weak yet stoic voice. “These wounds will never heal, I am lame now. You Julius will rise in my stead. Take these men and restore their spirit as I have time and time again, lead them into battle.” He released his grip and told me his choice. “This night I will take a ship and set sail for another life, I must leave this one behind for I can fight no longer. Tell the men I was slain, that you pushed my body off to sea into the arms of Poseidon. I only ask I go down in history as a warrior, nothing more. May my final hours not be tainted in the books of tomorrow.” I answered his last wish and gave him my thanks for the years and the battles we shared. That very night he slipped into the darkness. I could only stand and watch as the once Great Achilles faded away into the depths of the sea, into the annals of history, and into the hearts and minds of millions to come. 

Tone Analysis

           Despite the fact both “Have a Cigar” and “Rock n’ Roll Band” portray the image of a band’s Rise to Fame and their ride aboard “the Gravy Train”, Pink Floyd incorporates a rather mocking tone through sarcasm to attack the self-centered ideologies of Record Companies, whereas Boston presents the joyful, brighter side of success and fame through a tone reminiscing of their unforgettable time as a “Rock and roll band”.

            At face value, both songs do portray in a sense a band’s rise to riches and fame from nothing to greatness. Tone-wise, the speakers of each (not the song-writers) both seem drive for the band’s success and rise into the world’s view. Diving further, the deepest similarity which can be drawn between the two songs is the presence of the record big-boss or CEO trying to sign them and bring this “band” into the spotlight. “You’re goin’ to be a sensation! “ (Boston) “You’re gonna fly high” (Pink Floyd) Each song idolizes the record man as a supporter, as someone who is pushing for the band’s success. Additionally, a cigar appears a motif/symbol in each song characterizing the record man as someone of wealth, and for “Have a Cigar” someone of corruption. It serves as a cliché in a sense as well, though it does not clearly possess a negative or derogatory connotation in both songs.

            Digging deeper past face value, the two songs not only are communicating a different message, but are told in different points of views and nearly opposite tones. Boston presents the bright side of fame “Anticipating love and music” (Boston), not evil, corruption, or greed. They express (through 1st person) the times they had as a group, the fun they had, and the success they achieved. In complete contrast to the excited and positive tone of Boston, Pink Floyd paints a darker side of the music industry, a side tainted with corruption and the singular desire for wealth. Through hollow statement like “You’re never gonna die” the record guy’s true nature is unveiled along with Pink Floyd’s true tone and purpose behind writing the song: to make known this not so bright side of the music industry. “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” (Pink Floyd) again serves to reinforce the mocking of the industry, undermining the man’s apparent love for band with the fact he is totally unaware of the band’s actual members. 

            The greatness of the two songs in their entirety is the prevalent message each convey. In a sense both speak the same words, yet Pink Floyd utilizes a complex usage of tone to add depth and more sophisticated meaning to their song “Have a Cigar”. Though Boston’s meaning is much more straight forward and to the point, their tone is clearly heard through their lyrics even with listening. Ultimately, both song’s will last for years to come alongside the meanings both bands fought to express.

A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall Analysis

            Revolving around a rather macabre inquisition with his son in “A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall”, Bob Dylan constructs the song via the use of rhythmic syntactical patterns which include numerable sporadic verses of abstract irony, and paradoxical allusions to the world to convey the pain and pelting burden of this “Hard Rain”.

`           Throughout the entire song, Dylan utilizes a rhythmic syntactical pattern in which he repeats a select phrase in every stanza, unique to each specific stanza. For example: “I’ve” (Stanza 1), “I saw” (Stanza 2), “Heard” (Stanza 3), “I met” (Stanza 4), and “Where” (Stanza 5). In addition, Dylan concludes each stanza with the chorus which aids to hold and reinforce the song’ meaning. Dylan’s purpose behind structuring his song in this manner was likely to create an almost pulsating effect, like the patter of “rain”, in which his meaning, to make obvious the irony of our world strikes deep into the hearts and souls of the audience. The pattern, though at first glance redundant, actually serves to insure the communication of Dylan to his audience, from the enigmatic mind of his own to the willing minds of theirs.

            Defining the song is simple, for Dylan’s prevalent use of irony is inescapably present. The irony Dylan employs is unrelated to any single object or idea, besides that of irony’s own independent existence in our world. “I saw a newborn babe with wild wolves all around it” juxtaposes the innocence and vulnerability associated with newborns to the evil and malicious intent attached to wolves. One would expect the caring arms of a mother to hold and cherish her child, not the cold breath and hunger of a wild wolf; thus the irony is created. A deeper more figurative example of Dylan’s sporadic irony would be “I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken”. Here, the expectation is common sense, a talker would no doubt be expected to talk but , in contrast, their tongues are broken forever silencing them from the world around them. Through this veil of irony Dylan weaves, he makes an allusion to the modern world and the countless who suffer day by day, with minds, mouths, and voices of their own who will never be heard.

            Within Dylan’s facade of irony lies paradox, mind-bending ideas that through their confusion and haze hold meaning, evocative meaning. “I met one man who was wounded in love- I met another man who was wounded with hatred” The first verse in this line holds the paradox while the other holds the more common understandable example. At first glance, love is not something that brings pain, suffering, or a wound. However, under this first level, love can in truth bring pain or wound. An absence of love can scar or damage one’s soul.

Song Analysis 1

            Moving from the wars of the time to the imminent destruction of mankind in War Pigs, Black Sabbath covers their true purpose of the protesting the Vietnam War, with a façade of off-topic analogies, metaphoric symbolism, and reoccurring allusions to paint a bleak and grotesque portrait of war and the inevitable annihilation of the world if this “war machine keeps turning”.

            To set a sturdy foundation for their song, Sabbath uses the universal truth of the horror of war as their backdrop or stepping stone into the piece. The first six lines of the song are pairs of dark statements in regards to war but lines 2, 4, and 6 each paint a more vivid picture via an abstract analogy of the line it follows. In doing so, the song as a whole adopts a darker mood as if a cloak pitch blackness was thrown over the words. “Just like witches at black masses” (Line 2) analogizes the “Generals” (Line 1) of war by attaching the evil doings and machinations of witches to them, being an inherent symbol of evil. “As the war machine keeps turning” (Line 6) analogizes the “bodies burning” (Line 5) to fuel for this massive, churning engine; almost as if death was necessary or desired by the men running this machine.

            The song’s title War Pigs is in and of itself a metaphor, to demonstrate how the men who proctor and oversee these wars are nothing more than pigs. The pig has, in fact, been used countless times as a symbol of greed and glutton, two of the seven deadly sins, and here it applies in a grand fashion. Sabbath attacks them for “Making war just for fun” (Line 15) as if it was for entertainment or to serve as a feast to quench their appetite for death and destruction-glutton. Idolizing the movements of the 60’s, in contrast, which stressed the importance of life and love, Sabbath saw them as seeing war as nothing more than a game: “Treating people just like pawns in chess” (Line 16). Like the people of the time, Sabbath preached the value of life, and that all of the men and women fighting were real people and not just hollow pieces on a game board to be used and manipulated at will.

            Encompassing the entire song is an allusion to the end of mankind or the “day of judgment” (Line 23) if war is left unchecked to run amok and continue to char the earth and the innocent. Sabbath foretells of a world where “No more war pigs have the power” (Line 21), a world where the “Hand of God has struck the hour” (Line 22), and through a sick, twisted rhyme they convey the immensely powerful idea of absolute destruction, a true end. And as the world seemingly falls into destruction, and as “Satan laughing, spreads his wings”, Sabbath presents the question “is man truly evil”? Or for a more potent effect, “are we going to let our world be burnt to the ground?”; two questions that would dive into the inner soul of anyone, everyone.

            Hands down, Black Sabbath succeeds unanimously in their thematic purpose to promote anti-war ideas, while simultaneously tearing the veil covering war’s real horror to shreds. From beginning to end, the song builds in intensity, beginning with the present and ending with Armageddon, the very Armageddon they hoped and fought for to never see. 

War Pigs

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds, oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that all to the poor
Yeah!

Time will tell them they are power blind
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'til their judgement day comes
Yeah!

(Bridge)

Now in darkness, world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan laughing, spreads his wings
OH LORD YEAH!

“Little Green” Analysis

             Nothing more tragic or painful can befall a woman, than separation from her child. Done being “a child pretending”, Joni Mitchell in her short poem “Little Green”, conveys the importance of responsibility and maternity through a repetitive use of symbolic imagery, simple but potent characterization, allusions to her past via personification, and powerful personal experience.

“Little Green” the title, actually refers to Mitchell’s own child whom at the age of 20 she decided, for the sake of her daughter, to put up for adoption. She uses the color green as a dualistic symbol to portray the innocent, new life of her child and the season of spring, “Call her green and the winter cannot fade her.” She draws a connection between green representing spring or an inextinguishable symbol of life versus winter, a symbol/metaphor for the struggles and adversity of life.  Envy could also be a motive behind her use for the color as a result of herself: being the opposite incarnation of her child’s innocence and actually being envious of the child’s purity.

            A simplistic characterization is used by Mitchell to portray the image and background of the mother (Mitchell herself), the father, and the child “Little Green”. As the poem starts off, in the very 2^nd line, Mitchell indicates her position with her child- “Choose her a name she will answer to.”   Although this line may confuse when it is initially read due to Mitchell’s odd choice of point of view (in 3^rd person), it indicates her position as a mother who will not be raising her newborn child, but instead instructing, or rather asking another to do so in her stead. In a single line, Mitchell defines one side of herself and her life. The father is drawn as someone careless, selfish, “he’s a non-conformer.”  Any man who would leave their daughter, and head “-to California” “Hearing that everything’s warmer there” is more than just a non-conformer; Mitchell may have even used sarcasm in that line. “Little Green”, in contrast to her less than ideal parents, is a symbol for life, spring, and the true goodness of the world. Mitchell then concludes her characterization with herself, with- “You’re sad, and you’re sorry, but you’re not ashamed”. It serves as true demonstration of her own emotions. She felt sadness, and remorse, but not guilt, for she knew by giving her up she would also in turn be giving her “a happy ending”, something that as a mother she can take pride and happiness in. And in another single line, she defined the side of herself she always wanted to be, the side she wanted others to see.

            Although not as prominent as her symbolism or use of characterization, Mitchell also further defines herself as well as “Little Green” through the use of personification. “Like the color when the spring is born” shows the direct connection between “Little Green” and her birth, to the birth and the rebirth of the world through spring. It is clear and simple yet very potent and meaningful. Through allusion as well as personification, Mitchell additionally ties in her past native Canada as well as extending “Little Green’s” symbolism-“Like the nights when the Northern Lights perform”. She attaches beauty and awe to her child through her own experiences of this natural phenomenon from her childhood in Canada.

            In the end, after the decision Mitchell made, she found happiness by atonement through music. She freed herself of the child’s burden and the burden of misguidance and misfortune the child would have carried. Mitchell pushed through the difficulties of life and came out with an understanding of its goodness. There will be times of joy -“And sometimes there’ll be sorrow”, a tenet Joni Mitchell not only learned, but experienced.