As I’ve previously mentioned, Wednesdays are the days that Team Web puts up the new issue at TOC, and it’s also the day that the Hard Rock Cafe: Heavy Metal compilation gets a healthy amount of use.
(Sidebar: Since the White Lion Revelation, I’ve found myself paying closer attention to the lyrics on this album, as well as other cock rock classics. As such, I usually hit the skip button when “Lay It Down” by Ratt cues up since I can no longer countenance lyrics like “I’m into total affection/Not being scared if you never please me.” Let’s be honest here: how “scared” were the members of Ratt that your average groupie was going to be unable to “please” them? I’m fairly certain that this was a low-set bar. Similarly, I was also struck by the lyrics to “C’mon and Love Me” by KISS: “She’s a dancer, a romancer/I’m a Capricorn and she’s a Cancer.” KISS, where do you get your ideas?)
As such, I was listening to Lita Ford’s “Kiss My Deadly,” a song I’ve been familiar since I bought it during an early 90s excursion to the local Phar-Mor (picture a low-rent Jewel combined with the record and tape selection that approximates the catalog selections one would find at a modern-day Circuit City ) 
where I purchased the eponymous Lita based largely on the cover (at right) and my friend Rick’s endorsement of the Ozzy/Lita duet “Close Your Eyes Forever” which we can all agree, in retrospect, is not near as cool as we remember it being. For those whose memories fail them, here’s a sample, but it gets worse from here when the drums kick in around 2:45:
MP3 excerpt – Lita Ford and Ozzy Osboune – “Close My Eyes Forever”
This is a good lesson for all of us: never buy music based solely on the endorsement of a 16 year-old.
ANYWAY, in all my years of listening to “Kiss Me Deadly,” I never noticed the audible “sniff” that occurs at approximately 20.40 seconds into the song right after the lyric about Lita’s unfortunate, but nominal, traffic and financial difficulties. To whit:
MP3 excerpt – Lita Ford – “Kiss Me Deadly”
What’s going on there? A defiant sniffle in the face of the aforementioned patriarchal groveling? One last bit of nose candy before the rocking commences? It’s a rather minor occurrence in the overall song. In fact, you can see the audio waves created by “the sniff” barely register (note the highlighted portions below):
I used to think “Kiss Me Deadly” was a great song but I fear this “sniff” is going to lead to an obsession with it. So I’m really hoping someone can supply an explanation before it takes over my life.
you are ruining me. i normally wouldn’t take the time to download, but i did. and i rewound (rewound?) that at least 10 times in rapid succession. and i came to the two non-conclusions you did. a pouty sniff or coke. or both. probably a pouty sniff, since if you were doing a bump, you would need a wee bit more time than is given before she launches into her next line. but what the hell is THAT all about? maybe i should just espouse *her* philosophy, and go with lita’s words of wisdom … it ain’t no big thing.
She did this on multiple songs. If you go back to her Dancin’ on the Edge album (which actually was a very good album), she sniffs multiple times on that album. Not sure the reason…defiance is all I can think.
So glad you posted this. It appears this famous sniff has now been edited out. I was told I didn’t know what I was talking about. It was a coke sniff for sure.