Stairway to Hell
Myths About the Greatest Rock Song of All Time
DJ White Noyes
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Entertainment
Many professors at UC can probably remember hearing Led Zeppelin's smash hit, "Stairway to Heaven" on the radio in the early 1970s. It was relaxing, inspirational, and it had a great guitar solo. How upset would you be if it was revealed that the positive lyrics and soothing instrumentation is
contradicted by a hidden, satanic message found subliminally within the song?
The track, originally from their 1971 album, "Led Zeppelin IV," was the centerpiece of their fourth studio album (Amazon.com). The mysterious story is about a young woman who believes money can buy her eternal happiness in heaven. "Plant [lead vocalist] had been influenced by a book he was reading at the time by the Scottish occult expert Lewis Spence called, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain" (Western Mail).
"It was a milestone for us," Led Zeppelin said. "Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something which will hold up for a long time, and I guess we did it with 'Stairway'" (Rolling Stone). Still referred to today as one of the greatest rock songs of all time, "Stairway to Heaven" also gained a great deal of popularity based on a strange musical method of madness called "backmasting."
Backmasting is a musical technique made popular in the 1960s and 1970s. This is where a musical artist records a message within a song and the true words can only be heard if the song is played in backwards fashion. This revelation stirred controversy as some bands decided to place secret, offensive messages within their songs. Music fans then began searching for these hidden messages, like a game, even though it was harmful to the record itself.
When cassettes became the universal format replacing vinyl, backmasting died out; however, it can easily be done today with the computer software that is available. Regardless, throughout the 1970s the practice was preformed quite frequently and "Stairway" is still remembered as one of the most famous examples of this.
contradicted by a hidden, satanic message found subliminally within the song?
The track, originally from their 1971 album, "Led Zeppelin IV," was the centerpiece of their fourth studio album (Amazon.com). The mysterious story is about a young woman who believes money can buy her eternal happiness in heaven. "Plant [lead vocalist] had been influenced by a book he was reading at the time by the Scottish occult expert Lewis Spence called, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain" (Western Mail).
"It was a milestone for us," Led Zeppelin said. "Every musician wants to do something of lasting quality, something which will hold up for a long time, and I guess we did it with 'Stairway'" (Rolling Stone). Still referred to today as one of the greatest rock songs of all time, "Stairway to Heaven" also gained a great deal of popularity based on a strange musical method of madness called "backmasting."
Backmasting is a musical technique made popular in the 1960s and 1970s. This is where a musical artist records a message within a song and the true words can only be heard if the song is played in backwards fashion. This revelation stirred controversy as some bands decided to place secret, offensive messages within their songs. Music fans then began searching for these hidden messages, like a game, even though it was harmful to the record itself.
When cassettes became the universal format replacing vinyl, backmasting died out; however, it can easily be done today with the computer software that is available. Regardless, throughout the 1970s the practice was preformed quite frequently and "Stairway" is still remembered as one of the most famous examples of this.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
jorden
posted 5/07/08 @ 7:11 PM EST
i dont beleive it how does habustle in your hedgrow translate to Oh, here's to my sweet Satan/The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan. (Continued…)
Angela Childrey
posted 4/20/09 @ 2:36 AM EST
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