Pop Shots – 5 Songs With Hidden Messages When Played Backwards

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, in honor of Halloween coming up in just a few days, this week Pop Shots is getting spooky. How are we doing this? By taking at look at five songs that have hidden messages when played backwards.

The idea of songs having hidden messages dates back to ’60 rock n roll, but gained real momentum in the ‘80s, when the satanic panic movement led parents to believe heavy metal music had hidden messages that would lead their kids down a path to the devil.

Seriously, people actually thought this.

With that in mind, quite a few artists decided to have some fun with hidden messages – the formal name of the recording technique being backmasking.

The following are five great moments in backmasking that may, or may not, lead you down a path to Satan, and since this is Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

“Weird Al” Yankovic – Nature Trail to Hell 

Hidden message – “Satan eats Cheez Whiz.”

 

On Weird Al’s sophomore album, “Weird Al” Yankovic in 3-D, which was released in 1984, he decided to have a little fun with all the hype surrounding the satanic panic, putting a hidden message about the devil on the song “Nature Trail to Hell.” His hidden message, however, was only scary to the lactose intolerant, as he let listeners who played the record backwards know – “Satan eats Cheez Whiz.”

Wait, does this mean Satan enjoys Philly cheesesteaks???

I knew Satan was from Philly. I just knew it!

The B-52’s – Detour Thru Your Mind 

Hidden message – “I buried my parakeet in the backyard. Oh no, you’re playing the record backwards. Watch out, you might ruin your needle.”

 

At the very end of The B-52’s song “Detour Thru Your Mind,” off their 1986 album Bouncing Off Satellites, there’s something unintelligible being uttered. When played backwards we discover it’s a hidden message from Fred Schneider about burying his parakeet, and the damage you might do to your record player’s needle by playing an LP backwards.

The second part of the message is actually pretty solid advice.

Since the YouTube video above has the entire song backwards, you hear this hidden message at around the 17 second mark (which would be the end of the song if it was being played as intended).

Bloodhound Gang – Lift Your Head Up High (and Blow Your Brains Out) 

Hidden message – “Devil child, wake up and eat Chef Boyardee Beefaroni.” (repeated 4x)

 

Two things Bloodhound Gang will never win any awards for are subtlety, and maturity, and God bless ‘em for being the madmen they are. On their sophomore album, One Fierce Beer Coaster, released in 1996, they had a song colorfully titled “Lift Your Head Up High (and Blow Your Brains Out).” On the song, when Jimmy Pop raps, “Rewind and let me reverse / Backwards like Judas Priest first did,” the hidden message is revealed if you do what he requests, and play the song in reverse.

The message implores a devil child to wake up and stuff themselves with Beefaroni (yes, the transcription in the video is actually wrong, and everyone pointed it out in the comments. Maybe Satan made him do it!).

I gotta say, whether it’s Weird Al’s Cheez Whiz, or Bloodhound Gang’s Beefaroni, the devil has some bargain basement taste in food.

L7 – Boys in Black 

Hidden message – “All beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Two all beef patties.” (the Big Mac jingle)

 

L7 has included hidden messages on multiple songs, but my personal favorite is the one they included on “Boys in Black,” which was originally written and recorded for a Free The West Memphis 3 benefit album that was released in 2000.

Thankfully, the West Memphis 3 are now free, and in 2013 L7 held a contest on their Facebook page asking fans to come up with either the most creative idea for what the hidden message was on the song, or the actual message itself.

Someone nailed it, posting the exact words, thus revealing L7 may have been a bit hungry during the recording of “Boys in Black.”

The Waitresses – The Smartest Person I Know 

Hidden message – “Anyone who worries about subliminal messages on pop records is a fool. Everyone else have a nice day.”

Those of us who were alive, and listening to music in the ‘80s remember The Waitresses from their classic “I Know What Boys Like,” as well as their holiday hit, “Christmas Wrapping.”

On the band’s 1982 EP, I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts, The Waitresses had a hidden message on the song “The Smartest Person I Know.” Based on the message, which tells us that worrying about subliminal messages on pop songs is pretty stupid, the smartest person they know probably never attempted to find it. Ah well, I guess that’s what we’re here for!

That’s all for this edition of Pop Shots, but come back next Monday for more shots on all things pop.