Heaven to Stairway

Detournements

Composer Thomas Dimuzio reversed the original recording and digitally spliced it into quarter notes, then reassembled it in forward order to retain the original melody. According to Dimuzio, the resulting file contains exactly 666 regions. [1]

[edit] Satanic claims

• "Stairway to Heaven (section) (reversed)" (file info) — play in browser (beta)
  • A reversed version of the claimed backmasked section of Stairway to Heaven
  • Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Critics of rock and roll songs (and of Led Zeppelin in particular) have alleged^[13] that a backward message is recorded into "Stairway to Heaven." The message, which allegedly occurs during the middle section of the song ("If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now..."), is purported to contain Satanic references:

Oh here's to my sweet Satan.
The one whose little path would make me sad, whose power is Satan.
He will give those with him 666.
There was a little toolshed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.

– Most popular version of the lyrics to Stairway to Heaven played backwards^[13]

In 1982, a consumer protection committee of the California State Assembly held a hearing on the song. Several "experts" claimed that "Stairway to Heaven," when played backward, contains a similar message:^[1]

I sing because I live with Satan.
The Lord turns me off -- there's no escaping it.
Here's to my sweet Satan, whose power is Satan.
He will give you 666. I live for Satan.

– Alleged lyrics to Stairway to Heaven played backwards, from the 1982 California State Assembly hearing

The controversy originated from a prominent Baptist, who, in 1982, preached on the radio that "Stairway to Heaven" contained subliminal backward messages.^[14] This theory was later primarily advanced by Michael Mills, Jacob Aranza, and Jeff Godwin, who offered detailed analyses of the hidden meanings of both the "backwards" and actual lyrics.

Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns contains a minor reference to the song's supposed backward message: "Father Don said that Led Zeppelin hid a prayer to Satan in their song "Stairway to Heaven." / They hid it very well. They recorded it backwards."^[15]

Led Zeppelin 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". 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."^[16]