BACKMASKING

1. The Beatle's song "Help" claims to have the words "Now he uses marijuana" when played backwards. I do not hear these words and I do not think that the Beatle's meant for it to sound like this.

2. Santana's song when played backwards says the words "I'll remind you to say yes". This is a very good example of backmasking and the words are very clear. This was probably an intentional exmaple of reverse speech.

3. Mariah Carey's song is also an example that I think has intentional backmasking. When played backwards, the song clearly says " Yes, I am a woman now". In fact, I found it difficult to understand what she was saying when the song was played regularly but understood what it said when it was played backwords.

4. The Spice Girl's song couyld also be considered tgo have intentional backmasking. you can clearly hear the words " Was I easy? Have fun." when the song is played backwards. It makes sense that they would put this in the song backwards because when plyed regularly the son says "Im not that easy".

5. I do not beleive that the words " I love satan within" were intentionally backmasked into Santana's song. The words are not clear and it does not even seem like it is saying that.

6. I think the same about Sting's song. I do not hear the words "He scared me hidden, hear me please". Nor do i think that that sentence make sense so i do not think that it was intentionally back masked into the song.

7. Cheaptrick's song Gonna Raise Hell says the words "satan hold the key to the lock" when it is played backwrods. I beleive that it was intentionally put in there, however you can only hear it when they play the song backwards super slow.

8. I do not think that the Rolling Stone's purposely backmasked the words " I love you said the devil" into their song. I do nto hear those words at all when the song is played backwords. I actually do not hear any words at all.

9. Iron Maiden's song "Still life" clearly has the words "the man of evil is here" when its played backwards. This backmasking was most likely intenional because the words are very evident and easily understood.

10. Alanis Morisette's song claims to have the words "high in LA" in it when played backwards. I can understand the words but i do not think that it was intentionally put in the song.

Big D and The Kids Table

Big D and The Kids Table is a ska/ punk band. They are not too popular but that is because their genre is not very popular. They are considered an underground band, like most ska/ punk bands including Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. Big D came together ten years ago when the band met in a college in Boston. They put on insane live, local shows in dorms, halls, clubs and basements all over New England. Big D formed their own label, Fork in Hand Records to put out their first album, Shot by Lemmi in 1997. The band has built a very vibrant punk/ska scene around themselves.

However, before they hit the studio, Big D was contracted by SideOneDummy Records who told them, “You need to do a ska record. You need to do the album that ska music needs,”. McWane of Big D says, “So we decided to do it, and it was awesome”. Their career is successful and although they are not in a popular genre, they are a very popular band among the very few ska fans. Big D and the Kids Table plays an average of 200 shows a year and plans on taking things up a notch to lead ska’s next big resurgence.

Big D’s albums are very adventurous and fun. They have faster songs while they also have slower ones. Their album Strictly Rude released March 20, 2007 includes both types of their songs. The album includes a dancy opener, “Steady Riot” and the creepy, ominous “Snakebite”. The fourteenth track on Strictly Rude, “The One”, is an upbeat, sunny song. This song sends a message of optimism. The songs also has different points of view.

"The One" involves someone convincing their friend that their girlfriend is trouble and that he deserves better, “That woman is trouble. You’ve got to wake up. I know you wanna love her for the rest of your life. But man, there are much kinder girls here tonight.” This song is an excellent example of optimism in ska/punk music. Another example of optimism in "The One" is "And if you keep that smile then you'll find a way. And if you keep your sun out then you'll find a way. And if you keep the pressure down you'll find a way." Big D is sending a very strong message that if one stays positive, then they will find a way through obstacles and difficult times. In the middle of the song, Big D changes the point of view to that of the friend receiving the advice, "But what if I get lost? And what if I can't find? A girl to take care of, a girl to be just mine?" Then the point of view returns to the original narrator and Big D strikes again with an awesome line of guidance and reassurance, "No need to worry now, the one will come around. No need to worry now, the one will come around." Clearly, this is a very influential band sending direction and posterity to their fans.

Big D and The Kids Table has many songs. "The One" is not their most popular but thier fans find it to be a total hit. The song has a good flow and a catchy tune. Like most ska songs, "The One" is very upbeat and positive.

P.S CHECK OUT MY PLAYLIST TO HEAR "THE ONE" AND OTHER INSANELY AWESOME SKA SONGS!

COMMENT MY PLAYLIST!

:)

CONTRADICTING LYRICS

CONTRASTING DICTIONS BY LESS THAN JAKE

Less Than Jake is a Ska-Punk band from Gainesville Florida. They have had a musical career for a decade and a half now. Thier latest CD was released summer of 2008, "LTJ GNV FLA". They are also making re-releases of thier previous albums. For fifteen years Less Than Jake (LTJ) has been traveling the world and participating in shows like Warped Tour and opening for bands like Bon Jovi. Vinnie of LTJ says, " Each record is a snapshot of who the band is and was at the moment of writing and recording". Like many artists, LTJ includes many different dictions, or choices of words, in thier music. Between the old albums and the new there are many contradicting dictions. Two of thier songs, "Dopeman" and "Does the Lion City Still Roar?", exemplify LTJ's ability to produce many songs but using contrasting forms of diction.

Less Than Jake's song "Dopeman" has a very basic form of dicton. The lyrics are very easy to follow and understand. These lyrics do not have very difficultwords and therefore uses a very simple form of diction. "Dopeman dopeman's got another big plan, to sell it to you or anyone he can", this shows the simplicity of the song. LTJ uses rhyming words to make it a catchy song. The song is about somebody persuing a career in the dealing of drugs because it is easy and it is better than minimum wage, "because this is much better than minimum wage. no matter how things work he's still gonna get paid. think about it for a minute more -it's either work at McDonalds or the corner store. a quick money fix from a deal or 2. when a decision comes downwhat would you do?" The words used in the song "Dopeman" are very basic and get the plot, or point, of the song across without requiring much thought or intelect. The entire song uses small, rhyming words and alot of repetion, continuously repeating the line "dopeman dopeman". This song greatly exemplifies simple, basic diction in the writing of music.

On the other hand, LTJ have also written music where the diction is not so incomplex. Their song "Does the Lion City Still Roar?" uses a much more intense form of diction. This song is not so simple. One would have to analyze the lyrics to discover what the song is talking about. The song is not very apparent, "I'll keep my faith alive Cause this is apparent as a parasite I can't believe this sight Streets full of blank faces and junky eyes The streets won't sleep tonight A lullaby for the half-alive The city swings and whines To the double crime of drugs and hard times". These are the first lines of the song and I had no idea what they meant. These lyrics give the listener more room for imagination. This song is obviously not as clear and apparent as "Dopeman".

Songs by the same musician often involve different forms of diction. They do this to target different groups of people. "Dopeman" and "Does the Lion City Still Roar" have contrasting dictions. Contradicting dictions allow songs to vary and be different than eachother.

SONGS FOR PLAYLIST :)

5 songs that will be included in my play list next week will be:

How It Goes By: Big D and The Kids Table
The Science of Selling Yourself By: Less Than Jake
Dopeman By: Less Than Jake
Mowtown Never Sounded So Good By: Less Than Jake
Sell Out By: Reel Big Fish