What is the significance of the Satanic messages in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven?

Question

What is the significance of the Satanic messages in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven?

Answer 1

The only reason you know what it sounds like when played in reverse is because you read it, or were told it. You probably would have heard something entirely different if your were not preconditioned.



Please see this video where Dr Michael Shermer demonstrates this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nypTBLLu18Q



Edit:

I have listened to it. Like in the 70s. The "phenomena" was debunked then too. If I'm to take this seriously you have to put forward at least a hypothesis as to the mechanics of this. Plant and Page influenced by the devil? Can you demonstrate that devils exist? We are back to Occam's Razor.



From Wikipedia:

"The band itself has for the most part ignored such claims; for years the only comment came from Swan Song Records which issued the statement: "Our turntables only play in one direction—forwards". Led Zeppelin audio engineer Eddie Kramer confirmed this, calling the allegations "totally and utterly ridiculous. Why would they want to spend so much studio time doing something so dumb?" Robert Plant expressed frustration with the accusations in an interview: "To me it's very sad, because 'Stairway to Heaven' was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music."



An informal experiment by scientist Simon Singh suggested that listeners only hear the message after prompting."



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_heaven

Answer 2

You would be surprised how effective the paradolia effect is. Its very likely that if you had never been told what the words were, then playing it backwards you would have not heard any message at all. However, once you know what the message is, its clear as a bell in your mind.



This is similar to the case of the Fisher Price "Mommy cuddle and coo" doll which was supposed to speak Islamic messages. If you are not told what the message is, all you hear is cooing. After someone says "The doll is saying 'Islam is the light'" It seems to be clear as a bell.



The problem with the backward message is that it would be complete non-sense when played forward. It would not be unheard of for a band to pick up on an urban legend and plant a message like that as a joke, but I think the album was recorded before the "backward" message craze became popular. For example, Pink Floyd did some backward messages deliberately, however it was just jibberish non-sense forward.



The incredible amount of planning and coordination it would take to play a song that would sound good forward and have a clear message when played backwards is insane.



The message forward is an artistic song. Backwards is just paradolia at work.



The other problem with the "Satanic" messages in rock albums, is that it assumes the mind can somehow subconsciously play the song backwards and be influenced by the message. Research suggests that this is not the case. The mind has no such abilities, conscious or subconscious, and even if it could, research suggests direct marketing is much more influential than subliminal marketing.

Answer 3

I remember running my Led Zep album backwards on the phonograph to hear these messages back in my youth. I also ran it backwards over other songs and other parts of the album. My conclusion at the time was that it was just people searching for the "devil influence" in rock bands. That's still my conclusion. What people were saying were backmasking of intentional words (e.g., "my sweet satan") sounded just like the rest of the garbled mess in the other songs played backwards, except someone suggested those words and it caught on by rumor. If you focus on those words and play the song backwards, you'll hear it. If you don't focus on the words, you won't hear it at all. That, in my experience, is pareidolia. They are not clearly words. "A little toolshed"? That one makes me laugh out loud.



So to answer the question, there is no significance. For an example of actual backwards messages, check out the intro to ELO's "Fire on High".

Answer 4

You should do some church hymns backwards. That would be interesting.

Answer 5

I've listened to these things. I don't believe there is anything to them other than paredolia...



and that's not a stretch, because the fact is when people are looking for these backward messages, they are looking for a message, and of course who delivers the lines and the topic of the lines are going to affect what we think this message is.



If you tell children there is a man in the moon they will almost all see the man in the moon when they look at the moon. If you tell them it's a rabbit, most of them will see a rabbit. This is the same thing.



Notice how these web sites and youtube vids always print out the words, so we're reading along.



I bet anything if you took 20 unknowing people and put them in 20 rooms, all with a recording they were unfamiliar with by a person/topic they were unfamiliar with, and asked them to write down the backwards words they heard, there'd be a few similarities but the messages would all be different.



Even better-- tell some people they're listening to a political speech and that the backward speech reveals a conspiracy, tell others that they're listening to hidden satanic messages, and then play them a backwards recital of A Christmas Carol or Shakesperian sonnets. Betcha that the people who were told it was a conspiracy will hear conspiracy phrases and those who were told it was a satanic message will hear satanic messages.

Answer 6

I remember hearing all about this in the 80's. I heard about it from a friend but what I heard was it was the lyrics themselves that were satanic. It has been over 20 years so I really don't remember very well but from what I understood the lyrics:



If there's a bustle in your hedgerow

Don't be alarmed now,

Its just a spring clean for the may queen.

Yes, there are two paths you can go by

But in the long run

Theres still time to change the road youre on.



This was suppose to be indicating that you can either choose god or satan. This friend was a real religious person so I would guess that her information was from a church group. She also talked to me about the back tape masking that you are referring to, but was more into the group ELO and accused them of doing it. I have never really taken the time to investigate this.

Answer 7

It's possible the lyrics were written to sound that way backwards. They don't make much sense forward,to me anyway. Jimmy Page was, or at least wanted people to think, he was a follower of Alistair Crowley. From what I used to hear back in the day. His taste for the occult was almost as strong as his taste for drugs and young groupies.

Who knows what was true and what was publicity? The band had all the free time in the world.They could have certainly put the message in there.

As a joke or maybe even a tribute to Satan. There are plenty of folks that believe in and worship Satan. A lot of them willing to do evil in his name.

I believe that, I just don't believe there's anything supernatural about them.



While never a big fan of Led Zeppelin. I saw them in Madison Square Garden in 1973. They put on a good show. Not very spooky as I remember but there was a fog in the air.

Answer 8

I have to say that I believe what the band said about this one. It was not their intention no matter what you hear when it's played backwards. Stairway to Heaven is a beautiful song and I think that it came from the heart. You can't really make good music like that if you are goofing off, trying to make it sound like something totally different if played backwards.



That being said, when I listened to it, that is not what I heard. I heard a bunch of backwards talk and what stands out is "My sweet Satan" a bunch of backwards talk and then "Oh my glorious sweet Satan".



I didn't watch the video, I just turned my head away and listened.



I have heard about this one over the years but I had never actually listened to it. It definitely says Satan, whether or not the rest of what I heard is my brain figuring out gibberish is another story...but the word Satan is definitely there.



What's the significance? Well, I still don't think it was the bands intention. I have heard though that there are very dark realms that can use things like backward language and television static to communicate and/or influence our physical realm.



This is too heavy a subject for a Tuesday morning, that's for sure. ;)

Answer 9

Well, personally those aren't the words I hear, but yes, there is a satanic message. It relates to the "false path" of satan (which the skeptics don't know it but by technical occult standards they are currently also on that path). Led Zep likely put it in there on purpose but perhaps not. Reverse speech is tricky stuff. The interpretation is always muddled by the researcher. However, it's kinda hard to deny there is something being said in this one. I don't give it much stock (nor do I give satanists much attention, because that is usually what they want. You put science or magick in the hands of an egotistical psychopath, you get destructive results either way).

Answer 10

I saw the documentary "Hell's Bells" years ago. This is one of many examples in rock music. To be fair though, reverse speech can have a psychological explanation. This has been found in children's gibberish. Some have even said that some small children actually speak backwards before they learn to speak forwards. In adults, the subconscious mind can do this too, where there are two messages (one forwards, and a related message backwards). It has to do with subconscious communication and the processing of auditory and verbal information in the mind.



I doubt that it was the Devil speaking through them, and I also doubt that this reversed passage was nothing but gibberish. It does seem to sound like the words "Here's to my sweet Satan ....". However, there is probably a psychological explanation for this reverse speech. I don't really believe that the Devil works this way. If you want to find the Devil, just read your morning newspaper.

Answer 11

Chose the right path even if it is long. Stay englishten cause satan will try to throw you in the dark