Forums > Queen - Serious Discussion > It's fun to smoke marijuana

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I don't know, I still can't hear it. It just sounds kind of garbled, and I wouldn't hear 'It's fun to smoke marijuana' unless I was listening specifically for it, but maybe that's just me. ;-)

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I gave a pretty good theory for this the other day (since this topic seems to come up very often).

We know that there are some reversed piano notes used as effects in the song, so chances are good that they were listening to the song backwards in the studio to hear how they sounded each way.

So I'm thinking perhaps they heard an earlier vocal and said 'hey, that almost sounds like "It's fun to smoke marijuana"' so just for fun, Freddie recorded a new vocal to see if he could make it sound clearer when played backwards. And it worked (as far as many people are concerned anyway)

So I think it was both an accident and intentional but certainly they were aware what it sounded like. And remember, they weren't planning on releasing the song as a single at first.. so they may have thought it just a funny little thing to see whether anyone would find this 'message' on the album.

Then of course they swore to always deny it.

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Hmm, well here is the clearest vocal part from the original (2001 remaster) followed by the DTS center channel (most likely DVD-A) which doesn't have the sound effects. It sounds a lot different without them.. the question is.. was it always different by itself, or did they alter the vocal for the 5.1 mix in an attempt to put an end to this stuff?

http://members.cox.net/breakfree/aobtd_backwards.mp3

"Bites" sounds a little odd forward too, as if they've altered it. Hmmmm.....

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Thanks a lot for the MP3. It's been several years that I heard about this rumour and doesn't have the skills or tools to listen to it so thanks again.

For me it sounds like "Start to smoke Marijuana" and not "it's fun to..."

Anyway, does anybody asked Brian ?

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I think it actually says 'I want to choke an iguana"

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But... isn't fun to smoke marijuana???
IT IS FUN TO SMOKE MARIJUANA!!!!

hahahahahaha!!! lol !!

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LOL I happen to have a BBC documentary about censorship in music (mainly in US) and there's a moment where a preacher plays AOBTD on vinyl to let the journalist hear it...once he told him what was supposedly said I could hear it but before, I couldn't. It's all psychological.

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HOLY FRIGGIN' CRAP! I just listened to that website that whirled peas posted, and wow. When everybody was talking about it on here, I was just like, okay, dandy, dont need to try it myself, but now....cool. Woah.
Oh, and also, To me, it also sounds like "Start to smoke Marijuana". Woot. I feel.....wired now, somehow...woot!

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I heared it the very first time I listened to it. Dunno why people can't hear that...

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;)

FM: let's record this vocal, dears, and play it backwards! Won't that be fabulous?

JD: didn't the Beatles try that?

RT: I forget. Pass me the lighter.

BM: We should release an album some day and call it 'On Fire at the Bowl'!

FM: John, if we play your lyric in reverse, it says 'I like to smoke marijuana.' Isn't that fruity, dear?

JD: Puff, puff, pass, Roger -- I mean it.

RT: I'm a man on fire. Rock n' roll just pays the bills. (cough, belch)

BM: if we put out a musical one day, should we offer the crowd brownies like those lovely bobbies in our flat, or do you think people will want spliffs?

FM: That's a lovely shade of green, dear, it reminds me of my first shopping trip in Japan and I had to choose between this silk kimono and a canvas one. Can you imagine how much that would chafe? It's just not the thing done in rock n' roll.

JD: (buzzes intercom to reception area) Sheffield! Get off your ass. I have the munchies. Get me roasted peanuts, dammit.

RT: I'm so high my name is high.

BM: Freddie poos, did you fill this with Cristal again? What a brilliant idea!