Reverse Speech in Song

1. One example of reverse speech in song is "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. This is a clear example of backmasking because when reversed, a whole paragraph about Satan is revealed, which is relevant to the song because it is an idea opposite of the main idea of the song. The clarity and subject of the reversed speech is too powerful to be accidental or ignored and is a clear example of backmasking.

2. Another example of reverse speech in song is John Lennon’s "Imagine". This is an example of backmasking because when the line "imagine all the people" is reversed, it says "the people war beside me". This song is about peace, and the idea of people warring is the opposite of that. The relevance of this line shows that this is not a coincidence and is clearly backmasking.

3. One confusing example of reverse speech in song is "I’m so tired" by the Beatles. When a line of gibberish is reversed it says "Paul is a dead man. Miss him, miss him, miss him." This is creepy but relevant to the band because of the band member named Paul. The line is very clear and the reversed music also creates a scary atmosphere. However, since Paul is still alive, this line is creepy but does not explain any actual events. While it seems like an intentional example of backmasking, it is unclear because of Paul’s survival.

4. An example of reverse speech in song that I believe is not intentional is Yoko Ono’s "Kiss, Kiss, Kiss". When two foreign words of this song are reversed, it sounds like they say "I shot John Lennon." This is strange because Yoko Ono was John Lennon’s wife and he was shot dead. However, I do not believe that Yoko Ono would intentionally put that reverse speech in her song especially since the actual shooter of John Lennon was caught and arrested. I do not believe that this is actual backmasking.

5. An example of reverse speech in song is "My name is..." by Eminem. This is a clear example of backmasking because when you reverse this song, it amazingly repeats the names of Eminem and Slim Shady. The line is very clear and repeats the artists’ names, clearly proving to be an example of Backmasking.

6. An example of supposed reverse speech in song that is absolute hogwash is the Pokemon rap. Supposedly, when you reverse the "gotta catch ‘em all, gotta catch ‘em all" it says "I love Satan, I love Satan." However, when you listen to it, it is very unclear and cannot even be heard to say that. The absence of the clear reversed speech proves this is certainly not backmasking.

7. A clear example of intentional backmasking in music is Pink Floyd’s "Empty Spaces". This is clear backmasking because when played forward, there is a section of indistinguishable gibberish. However, when this line is played backwards, it plays a congratulatory message for finding the secret message in the song, proving to be intentional backmasking.

8. Yet another example of reverse speech in song is "...Baby One More Time" by Brittany Spears. When one line of this song is reversed, the line "Sleep with me, I’m not too young" can be heard. While the line is very clear and many people would not be surprised by a person such as her to put this reversed speech in a song, I cannot bring myself to believe that anyone would intentionally put such a disgraceful message in a song intentionally. Therefor, I believe that this song is an example of reverse speech, but not intentional backmasking.

9. In addition, "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen is an example of reverse speech in music. When the chorus, "Another one bites the dust" is reversed, it says "It’s fun to smoke marijuana". The line can be clearly heard multiple times and is relevant to the song because if someone does too much marijuana and other stronger drugs, they end up wasting their life away and could die. The line "Another one bites the dust" implies that another person has gone or died. This is a clear example of backmasking.

10. One of the greatest examples of reverse speech in song is "Fire on High" by the ELO. When you reverse the strange, indistinguishable introduction to this song, you hear a message telling you "the music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back, turn back, turn back." This line is not just clear, but is obviously intentional and as understandable as the person adjacent to you speaking. The clarity of the line and the message of the reversed speech itself prove that this is an obvious example of intentional backmasking.

I believe that intentional backmasking in songs is real. However, I do not believe that all reverse speech in music is intentional, or that all of the songs claimed to have reversed messages in them actually do have reversed messages in them.

"Don't Stop Me Now" Song Analysis

Don’t Stop Me Now

Queen is one of the most famous, talented, and important classic rock bands. Everyone knows there music, and they definitely made an impact on rock history with their great songs. Queen is known for having one of the most recognizable guitarists in rock and roll, Brian May, and possibly the best vocalist in the history of music. This vocalist is Freddy Mercury, of course. Freddy is known for his operatic voice and amazing range of vocals. The singing in all of Queen’s tracks struck awe in everybody who listened to them and were always flawless. Unfortunately, this legendary, amazingly skillful singer died young many years ago from aids, which may have been a result of his homosexual lifestyle. However, the great talent Queen is not the only mark of the band, as they are known to be unbelievable songwriters as well. Their writing genius can be shown through many hit songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "I Want It All", and "Killer Queen". Another great song that exemplifies the writing ability of this band is "Don’t Stop me Now". This song simply expresses the happiness of having a good time. Despite this simple idea, Freddy Mercury’s use of metaphor, simile, and hyperbole is very powerful and evident in the song.

When you listen to the lyrics of "Don’t Stop Me Now" you get the urge to jump into the song and sing along and never stop having a good time. These lyrics are filled with metaphors, similes, and hyperboles, and the use of these poetic devices is the strength behind the ability of the lyrics to express such great happiness and good feelings. In every verse of the song, Freddy Mercury uses metaphors to compare himself to something exciting in fun. For example, he compares himself to a shooting star and a rocket ship using metaphors to express his energy and excitement. Freddy also uses many metaphors like this including such lines as "I’m a shooting star leaping through the skies," "I’m a rocket ship on my way to mars," "I’m a racing car passing by," and "I am a satellite I’m out of control." All of these lines express the singer’s energy and excitement. After using metaphors to express his energy, Mercury then continues to strengthen his point using similes to compare his metaphors to even more exciting and energetic ideas. Some examples of this can be found in the middle of the verses, in such lines as "I’m a shooting star leaping through the skies/like a tiger defying the laws of gravity" and "...ready to reload/like an atom bomb/about to oh oh oh oh oh explode." These lines take already exciting metaphors and add even more energy to them by comparing them to more fun and explosive ideas. Lastly, Freddy Mercury uses many hyperboles in "Don’t Stop Me Now" to express as much excitement, energy, and happiness as he can. These extreme exaggerations are perfect to use in this song because they help the writer to express the unexpressible. The point of the lyrics are to show that the singer is having an amazing time so unimaginably fun that he never wants to stop. The extreme exaggeration in hyperboles help to express unimaginable feelings. Some examples of hyperbole in this song are "...defying the laws of gravity," "I’m burning through the skies yeah/two hundred degrees that’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheit," and "I’m traveling at the speed of light." These are hyperboles because none of these are possible, and they are all extremely exaggerated. You cannot defy the laws of gravity, no matter how high you jump or fly or how fast you move. You cannot be two hundred degrees because that is far too hot for the body to survive, and you cannot travel at the speed of light because it is not physically possible. However, the ideas of defying the laws of gravity, reaching extreme temperatures, and traveling at the speed of light are all very fun and exciting ideas, which contribute to the energy and mood of the song.

"Don’t Stop Me Now" is a very fun, energetic song. While the music contributes a lot to this mood and energy, the song could never have the same effect without these wonderful lyrics. There are many lines that contribute to the idea and energy of the song, including the opening line: "Tonight I’m gonna have myself a real good time." The chorus also adds to this: "Don’t Stop Me now, I’m having such a good time/I’m having a ball." However, it would be impossible to express such an extreme amount of happiness, fun, and energy without the use of these metaphors, similes, and hyperboles, and Freddy Mercury’s mastery of these devices allows him to create an unbelievable atmosphere of fun, energy, and happiness for the listener. "Don’t Stop Me Now" is an amazing song, and this is largely because of its amazing lyrics and atmosphere. All in all, the use of metaphors, similes, and hyperboles is extremely beneficial to the success of this great song.

Culture in Popular Music

Music is a very important part of everybody’s lives. People listen to music every day for many reasons. Some people listen to music simply for entertainment, others listen to music for emotional feelings, and some people listen to music for the enjoyment of poetry in songs. No matter what the reason is, people listen to music every day and it is a great aspect of every day life. People of all ages have been inspired and entertained by music for decades, even centuries. Music has been changing over time and different styles have been born. There have been many styles of music and popular themes particular to certain time periods over the years. Just as this is true, today’s music is unique to modern day culture, as classic songs are unique to their time periods, such as the 70s for example. In today’s music, the reoccurring themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are very noticeable. These themes are demonstrated in the songs, "You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" by Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jay Sean.

"You Belong With Me," "I Gotta Feeling," and "Down" are a few of many songs that have the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships. Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me" is a great example of the theme of missing love. This is a song about a normal, plain girl who has a crush on a popular boy who is taken by a popular girl who treats him badly. Taylor shows this social difference with lines such as "She wears high heels, I wear sneakers/She’s cheer captain and I’m on the Bleachers." This line is supposed to show that the boy’s girlfriend is a stylish cheerleader, while the other girl is a plain, boring girl that isn’t anymore special than anyone else in a crowd. As the title implies, the boy should be with the unpopular girl instead of the popular one and because he’s not, there is a missed opportunity for love. Taylor Swift tries to make this mistake clear with such lines as "She’s going off about something that you said/ ‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do," "I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like/And she’ll never know your story like I do," and the chorus, "If you could see that I’m the one who understands you/Been here all along so why can’t you see?/You Belong With Me." All of these lines indicate that this unpopular girl knows and understands the boy better than the other girl and is clearly the right girl for him.

The Black Eyed Peas’ "I Gotta Feeling" is perfect to represent the theme of good, fun nights in modern music. This song is very straight forward and is all about having a good night. Every line in the song contributes more to encouraging having a good night of partying. The first stanza indicates this and introduces the idea, and every line afterwards supports the same idea: "Tonight’s the night, let’s live it up/I got my money, let’s spend it up/Go out and smash it like Oh my God/Jump off that sofa, let’s get, get off." This stanza also shows a little of how people speak these days with the line, "...like Oh my God." This is significant because today people, especially teenagers, say like in almost every sentence that they speak, and everyone says "Oh my God" almost every time they express emotion. Relating to the theme of the song, no line in any song expresses having a good night better than the very repetitive chorus of "I Gotta Feeling": "I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good night/that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night." This chorus is very basic and simply talks about having a good night, which is the theme of many modern day songs.

Jay Sean’s "Down" is a good example of a song that supports the themes of good nights, and relationships. Jay references good nights with the line "You oughta know, tonight is the night to let it go/Put on a show, I wanna see how you lose control." This shows the theme of good nights, which is prevalent in many songs, and if it is not the main idea, then it is at least referenced usually. However, "Down" mainly demonstrates the theme of relationships, as the song is about a guy making a commitment and promise to be with a girl forever no matter what. The line that best depicts this is "So baby don’t worry, you are my only/you won’t be lonely, even if the sky is falling down." In this line, the singer is saying that he will be faithful and love this girl no matter what, "even if the sky is falling down" and everything is going to end. This idea of love and relationship is the main theme of this song, and it is the main theme of many other modern day songs.

These three songs support the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships very well. They are just a few of many songs that share these same themes and ideas, which are clearly very popular in modern day music. Music expresses a lot about culture, and these themes help show a lot about our culture. Because these themes are so popular in today’s music, and most of today’s music is purchased and listened to by young teenagers, it shows that modern day young teenagers like these ideas. Many young girls can relate to the idea of missing love or mistaken love, like the theme of Taylor Swift’s "You Belong With Me." A lot of people are emotionally moved by the idea of an unbreakable relationship like the theme of Jay Sean’s "Down", and mostly everybody that listens to modern music seems to like to party and have good nights, as the song "I Gotta Feeling" encourages. All in all, the themes of missing love, good, fun nights, and relationships are popular themes in modern music and help express modern day culture.