AboutChris M. Zangara Expertise I`m not only a Zeppelin collector but I have been collecting Zeppelin - and Page/Plant music & information for over 20 years. I am truly a lover of Page/Plant music in & out of Zeppelin simply because of the honesty & integrity of it all. - I have been studying them for as long as I have been listening to Rock/Blues Music. I look forward to any question and will answer the very best I can - as above all - I am just a fan like you!
Question how did the rumors get started concerning the song Stairway to heaven containing satanic messages? I've listened to this album numerous times through and have never been able to find any lyrics that even sounds remotely satanic. I am sure this is just a rumor, but I was wondering as to how it may have got started. Thanks for any info you may share.
All the best
David
Answer Hey David!
First off, I must say that there is absolutely no backwards masking or satanic messages in Led Zeppelin music. I've tried to find it, I've heard radio DJ's try to find it, and lots of other people and no one can find anything conclusive. The most famous rumor is, if you play Stairway To Heaven backwards, you can hear the words "here's to my sweet Satan." I've heard that and it doesn't sound like that at all, unless you really concentrate so you can "fool" your own mind into thinking it does. Both PAGE and PLANT have both been quoted as saying they were never so immature as to do that and "Why?" they would say; "Where would we have found the time to do something so stupid anyway?"
The rumors became well known as the 70's turned into the 80's and religious folk, mostly Baptist preachers who hated rock and roll of any kind, would search out the "heavy" bands look for these so-called satanic messages.
So, in April 1982 a committee of the California State assembly convened to listen to Zeppelin irate Baptist preachers were all there to listen to, not only Led Zeppelin, but other so-called "heavy metal" & "satanic" bands. They played the record "Stairway to Heaven backwards, and claimed to here the words "here's to my sweet Satan." Like I've said, it's just not there unless you really push yourself to hear it. I mean c'mon. You can hear anything in any song if you try hard enough. Y'know?
This is all completely ludicrous of course.
Before that, the rumors were just simple "Zeppelin sold their soul to the Devil" rumors that started in the mid-seventies with the kids. Some fans truly believed that there was no way Zeppelins incredible success and rise to fame could have been done only by the 4 musicians themselves. They forget about the 5th member of Led Zeppelin..Peter Grant, their manager. He was as crucial as any band member in spreading the word about Zep and making deals and such.
Zeppelin were so big because they worked their asses off. They toured and toured, sometimes circling the world and playing three to six USA tours IN ONE YEAR alone! Not to mention their music was astounding and their live shows were the stuff of legend. Even Zeppelin on their worst nights were better than anyone else out there. And that's because they always gave 110%, no matter what. When they ran out of their own songs to play, they would perform Elvis and Beatles songs, James Brown, anything to keep the crowd on their feet. Sometimes the encores would go longer than the actual shows, as the crowd just would not let them leave. Many shows went over 4 hours with only 45 minutes worth of material!
