Hidden Tracks & Messages In Songs Part 1

There’s something to be said for the curious art of bands hiding hidden messages, and even entire songs on their recordings. From the Beatles arguably being the first to introduce the idea in the late 60s, to the accusations of evil messages hidden in the songs of seventies rock bands; right through to the popular 90s tradition of tucking away hidden tracks at the tail-end of a CD’s running time – it’s always been a particularly physical phenomenon. It’s also something that’s harder to achieve in the digital era, so sit back and enjoy as we uncover the more interesting hidden stories and messages, the secret and not-so-secret things that musicians have attempted to bury.

Guns ‘N Roses – “Look At Your Game Girl”
While hidden tracks are a left-field move for any band, covering a song by a convicted murderer and cult leader goes beyond contrariness. But that’s exactly what Guns ‘N Roses did with the Charles Manson-penned “Look At Your Game Girl”, which appeared hidden away on their 1993 album The Spaghetti Incident; and it almost seems wrong to say, but the original is better.

Led Zeppelin – “Stairway To Heaven”
In 1982, a US television program alleged that hidden messages were contained in many popular rock songs through a technique called backward masking. The cited example was “Stairway To Heaven”, which the show claimed included satanic references. The alleged message occurs during the song’s middle section (“If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow…”). Which very loosely translated to: “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 tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan.”

You Am I – “Forget It Sister”
Widely considered one of the finest Australian albums of all time, Hourly Daily is a sprawling tour of suburban Sydney through the eyes of the laconic Tim Rogers. One of the album’s highlights is the hidden track, “Forget It, Sister” which arrives after a few minutes of silence following the closer, “Who Takes Who Home”. Unexpectedly, Rogers chimes in with “good morning baby” bringing the record full circle to the early hours, and opening “Good Monrnin” – an ode to breakfast radio.

Nirvana – “Endless, Nameless”
The nihilistic squall of this hidden track, buried at the quintessential grunge band’s iconic Nevermind showcases Kurt Cobain’s love for the Pixies’ style dynamics – but without his usual interest in pointed pop melodicism. Instead it’s a crash and bash of tuneless distortion and feverish squeals of nonsense. If “Smells Like Teen Spirit” broke Nirvana into the mainstream, “Nameless, Endless” was a reminder that Kurt and co. were still noisy rebels at heart.

The Beatles – “Her Majesty”
Rounding off 1969’s Abbey Road is “Her Majesty”, a Paul McCartney ditty that appears 14 seconds after “The End”, the album’s last listed song. At less than 30 seconds long, there’s not much going on – it’s just Paul, acoustic guitar, a lovely vocal melody, and some amusing lyrics including “Her majesty’s a pretty nice girl / but she doesn’t have a lot to say” . In fact, the Fab Four are often credited with inventing the secret track phenomenon, with the sound collage at the end of Sgt. Pepper’s that loops infinitely on vinyl players.

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