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Hidden words on Signals and other Rush albums

See also:

Altered-State Lyrics


Hidden phrase "burning pot" (25 KB) An indication that the song Chemistry is about drugs. It is the phrase "burning pot" hidden in such a way that you are most likely to hear the phrase while in a subtly receptive altered state. The main theme of the song, however, is LSD, not pot. The disconnected "puh" sound has obviously been artificially inserted, resulting in "potter" rather than "hotter".

"Addict of subtraction" (65 KB) (not "add without subtraction") (the LSD and ego-death enthusiast is an addict of subtracting the sense of ego)
Word "addict" isolated (18 KB)

"Natur - backwards - ally" (53 KB) (suggests listening backwards, though I haven't found anything backwards)
Word "backwards" isolated (19 KB)

"One too free" (64 KB) (not "one two three") (in an LSD session, your [practical] freedom becomes dangerously uncontrolled)

Music of the spheres/fears (114 KB)
Word "fears" isolated (28 KB) (Signals serves to provoke fears and ominous insights about loss of control during an altered-state session)

"In the basement bars" (43 KB) (first instance)
"In the basement bowels" (45 KB) (second instance) (could refer to alienation of gays)

"Trying to save the day for the overman" (78 KB) (not "trying to save the day for the old world man")
"He's a rider and a ranger" (96 KB) (not "writer... arranger") (in popular Zen books ego is compared to a phantom rider, the homunculous who is the driver in addition to being the vehicle)
"Staring at the skyned" (31 KB) sounds like "sky", "sound", "sun" layered. One of the many odd enunciations on this album.
"The timeless soul detraction" (52 KB) (not "timeless old attaction") (the mystic altered state feels timeless -- time is experienced as an illusion) (in the mystic altered state, the sense of substantiality of ego is taken away; the soul is detracted)
Words "soul detraction" isolated (34 KB)

Word "blade" with digital vibrato (32 KB) (brings attention to the word; the album also has "choppers slash" and "cut it with a knife" and "steely blade") (sword of prajna, words trigger the characteristic fear of loss of control in altered state)
"Uncovers up his eyes" (76 KB) (not "and covers up his eyes") (the third eye is uncovered; "he's got 3 eyes")
"Uninsulated border" (58 KB) (not "an insulated border") (in the mystic state of cognition, the ego boundary disappears; one becomes un-insulated and merges with the entire ground of being, entire universe)
"H 2 Woe" (54 KB) (not "H2O") (in the peak of an intense mystic altered state, there is a common sense of woe and dread at having stepped beyond the secure control provided by the ego delusion)
"Autumn words and in disguise" (66 KB) (sounds like "words... in disguise"; compare "skiing fast through the words" on Grace Under Pressure)

Interesting wording, sung straight

"With the eyes of the world we stare" (159 KB) (describes the state of pure egoless consciousness)
"Technology high" (53 KB) (referring to LSD, 1943)
"Caught in ticking traps" (58 KB) (ego's control/power is trumped by time axis)
Leading edge of life (227 KB) (describes altered state, not rocket)
"At the present time, there are no major problems" (109 KB) (ominous; triggers dread)
"The future predecided" (51 KB) (note this concern with implications of fatedness; in altered state, this is heard with dread and shock of recognition)
"Any escape might help to soothe the unattractive truth" (85 KB) (truth about ego's impotence) (the truth about ego's power is unattractive, even terrifying, as it implies loss of control)
"Any escape might help to soothe the unattractive truth" (83 KB) (second instance)
"Open seas", "Dizzy heights" (102 KB) (in altered state, resonates with wavy perception and with unstable heights of consciousness)
Ego as dragon; perceptual haziness; floodlight of consciousness (229 KB) (floodlit refers to white light of pure awareness; hazy refers to perceptual distortion of LSD; dragon refers to ego, the star of this unlikely/impossible show/appearance -- ego as actor of homunculous who is a logical impossibility)

Samples from other albums

The following clip is the end of Cygnus X-1 - heart palpitations as in heavy LSD use. Recorded mono from left channel only, boosted bass, increased volume at start and end.
Uneven heartbeat (79 KB) (16 Kbps) High compression works well for this clip since the treble is rolled off anyway. The .wma extension on this super-compressed file is added to please WinAmp 2.21, otherwise the signal is uneven. You can try renaming the file if necessary.
587 KB (128 Kbps), straightforward mp3 file extension
Heartbeat chart from Cygnus X-1 -- 30 KB, mono from left channel only, boosted bass, increased volume at start and end

55 heart beats in 37 seconds. That's 90 beats per minute. This heartbeat is fast and uneven, sometimes pausing.

"Skiing fast through the words" (56 KB) (from Grace Under Pressure: Afterimage)
Word "words" isolated (18 KB) Notice artificial vibrato that calls attention to this word

"Acid rain, red alert" (121 KB) (This is sung straightforwardly.) The altered state contains alarming insight about the nature of control (control originates from the Ground, not from oneself as ego).


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