OP-ED: Why we gravitate to conspiracy theories
As a young musician who came into adulthood during the 1960s and 1970s, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what the lyrics of songs meant.
OK, let me clarify that I’m not talking about the old country songs where the girl cheated on her boyfriend, his truck broke down, and his dog ran away. I’m referring to lyrics that could have had more than one meaning.
There were numerous examples of backmasking, where lyrics played backward were supposed to have completely different meanings, but most of those songs were more reflective of people hearing what they wanted to hear.
One of the most controversial was the enormously popular song by Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven,” where the lyric, “If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now,” when played backward was supposed to have been a reference to Satan. For that reason, it was banned from several radio stations. Of course, that claim was denied by the band as were numerous other potentially contentious lyrics by other groups.
Another controversial lyric came from the title of the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Listeners insisted it was all about drugs because the first three letters of the title words were LSD. As John Lennon carefully explained, his inspiration for the song came from a drawing by his son, Julian. Julian had drawn a picture in nursery school inspired by his little friend, Lucy, and when John asked what it was, he replied, “Lucy in the sky with diamonds.”
As I revisit the often-made-up lyrical mysteries of that era, it makes the need for so many irrational and unfounded conspiracy theories much more understandable now. There are numerous reasons why people like, need, embrace, and repeat unfounded conspiracy theories.
Probably the most prominent is their need for control. These theories often provide the person with that sense of control because they see themselves as understanding complex situations and occurrences in a way that makes the world more orderly and understandable. In other words, they take random and inexplicable situations and provide meaning to them.
People are also inclined to search for and interpret information that corroborates their already existing beliefs. In that way, these conspiracy theories exploit our prejudices and provide information necessary to substantiate our trepidations and theories.
They are also often a way to supply a straw man or scapegoat that can provide reassurance when we are feeling particularly vulnerable.
Lack of trust is one more reason for conspiracy theories. We all know there is certain information that, when provided to the general public, could contribute to turmoil, so by offering alternative explanations, we can comfort ourselves over our lack of knowledge regarding those top-secret topics.
We’ve all heard of the echo chamber effect where individuals are exposed to a very limited range of information that reinforces their already existing beliefs. Think social media, cable TV, and community groups.
One explanation that fits into the hidden lyrics theories of my youth is that only a select group of people with special knowledge can understand certain things, and that provides them with a sense of distinctiveness and singularity from those who are not part of that special group.
One of my favorite lyrics that did refer to drugs was from James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” where the song’s bridge touches on his friend’s battle with substance abuse: “Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.” This part of the song also alluded to the toll it took on their relationship.
But, like Taylor, who went on to describe how he cherished the memories they shared, “I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again.”
Even though some of your ankles may be wrapped in conspiracy theory aluminum foil, I always hope that I’ll see you again.
Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.