Backmasking Assignment

1. "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin is said to have a hidden message of Satanic worship when played backwards. When listening to the song forwards and backwards, I do not believe that there are any true messages, intentional or unintentional, hidden within the lyrics. Any word with an "s" in it seems to always be interpreted to mean the word "Satan" when played backwards, which I think is completely ridiculous.
2. In Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time," the song played backwards supposedly says, "Sleep with me, I'm not too young." I do not believe this is intentional because this particular song was not written by Britney Spears, or even a woman for that matter. However, I do believe that the message is there. Even without the help of the lyrics telling me what it is supposed to say, I was able to hear the exact message very clearly.
3. In Weird Al's satire, "Nature Trail to Hell," there is a definite, intentional example of backmasking that can be clearly heard: "Satan eats Cheez Whiz." Weird Al is known for making fun of songs and celebrities, so I believe that this is on purpose to satirize the use of backmasking in songs.
4. In The Doors's "Break On Through," there is supposedly backmasking, however, I do not believe it is intentional or even there. The only way one would assume that it says anything is if they are told what it is supposed to say first.
5. In "I'm So Tired," I do not believe the Beatles used backmasking at all. Forwards and backwards, this particular part of the song sounds like nothing but gibberish.
6. "Another One Bites the Dust" does sound like it has backmasked lyrics, but only if the supposed lyrics are shown. Without reading the alleged lyrics, I had no idea what it said, but once I read them, I could make out the phrase.
7. In the Eagles's "Hotel California," there is another prime example of how a word with an "s" in it suddenly turns into "Satan." The word "say" in the original lyrics is said to be "Satan" in the backmasked lyrics. I think this is completely false and that the phrase that is supposedly there does not even exist.
8. In Pink Floyd's "Empty Spaces," I believe that there is definitely an example of backmasking. Playing the song forwards, there only appears to be indistinguishable sounds, which contributes to the idea that Pink Floyd did this intentionally. Clearly, when played backwards, it says, "Congratulations, you have found the hidden message."
9. The idea that the phrase "Turn me on, dead man" is hidden purposely in the Beatles's song "Revolution 9" is ridiculous to me. I do not hear it at all, and I don't see how "Number nine" suddenly becomes this longer phrase that doesn't actually make any sense anyway.
10. Michael Jackson's "Beat It" does not, in my opinion, have any backmasking hidden within it. I believe that the Satanic-worshipping phrase that is allegedly hidden in the line played backwards is merely made up from someone's imagination.

Song Analysis 2: "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" by Elton John

"The Lion King" is a classic Disney movie that portrays themes of honor, loyalty, bravery, but most of all, love. One of the many ways love is displayed in the film is through the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," written by Tim Rice and performed by Elton John. The song fits easily into the storyline of the two main characters and their unconditional love for one another. Its lyrics and melody significantly help to enforce the movie's main theme of this universal emotion. In Elton John's rendition of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," Tim Rice's lyrics display striking metaphors that give rise to an overall message of love's unstoppable power and ubiquity despite the tribulations and hardships often presented in life.

The song's metaphorical lyrics work to emphasize the strength of love. In the beginning of the song, Rice describes "An enchanted moment" where there is "a calm surrender/To the rush of day." These lines explain the peaceful refuge that love represents to the speaker; his lover offers an escape from the battles that he, a "restless warrior," has to fight in his life. He says that love is "where we are"; it surrounds and encompasses the couple, also contributing to the idea that their relationship is able to shelter them, if only momentarily, from the problems they face in the outside world. Later in the song, the speaker says that "There's a time for everyone,/If they only learn/That the twisting kaleidoscope/Moves us all in turn." Here, the song shifts from a personal explanation of love to a universal explanation, claiming that all people will eventually get to experience this kind of unconditional and omnipresent love in their lives. Fate, "the twisting kaleidoscope," gives everyone in the world "a time" to truly feel love the way the narrator does. These metaphors praise love and its ability to affect people in such a positive way.

With the help of various metaphors, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" presents an optimistic outlook because of love's presence in life. The way love is expressed in the song, it has the power to mitigate pain and shelter from life's many obstacles. It has a profound effect on the narrator, who believes it will one day have a profound effect on all people. Through the song, listeners are shown that with love, anything is possible.

Song Analysis 1: "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor

Heartbreak has consistently been a major theme in music throughout history. Sinead O'Connor sings of an awful sadness resulting from a breakup in her 1990 hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U." The song was written by Prince, one of the most prominent singer-songwriters of our time. His melancholy lyrics with Sinead's soulful, solemn voice leave a lasting impact on listeners and helped contribute to the success the song experienced years ago. Through Prince's lyricism, the song presents many poetic techniques that allow the listener to feel the pain that the narrator is expressing. In Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," the use of figurative language creates an overall message of despair over lost love.

The song presents several poetic devices to emphasize the sadness of the narrator. In the line, "Since you took your love away," objectification is being utilized, transforming "love" into a tangible object instead of a feeling that, in reality, cannot literally be taken anywhere. This quote reveals to the listener that the narrator and her lover have parted ways. O'Connor says that "It's been so lonely without you here/Like a bird without a song." Prince uses simile to describe how the narrator feels incomplete and alone without her love in her life, comparing it to that of a songless bird. Also, toward the end of the song, O'Connor sings, "All the flowers that you planted, mama/In the back yard/All died when you went away." This is an example of metaphor, in that the flowers are representative of the relationship and love that the couple shared. Once the speaker and her lover break up, the flowers die, just as their love did.

A major factor contributing to the song's message is its use of exaggerated examples, or hyperbole. In the first verse of the song, she says, "Since you been gone I can do whatever I want/I can see whomever I choose." These lines are examples of hyperbole because the speaker cannot technically do whatever she wants or see whomever she chooses; it would be impossible. She then goes on to say that "nothing.../I said nothing can take away these blues," proving that despite what she does and who she sees, it does not mitigate her pain or distract her from it in any way. In the song's second verse, O'Connor sings, "I could put my arms around every boy I see," which is another clear representation of a hyperbole. These exaggerated statements within the song help to show the incessant grief the narrator experiences because of her breakup.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" presents an obvious theme: heartbreak and lost love. The way that this theme is presented makes the song relatable and allows for listeners to put themselves in the place of the speaker as she tells her story. The devices and techniques apparent in the song's lyrics clearly display its theme and evoke emotion from its audience.