For this piece, I had started with the guitar part (played on my keyboard), and wrote pretty much the entire music bed with the one sound.  Then I added other musical parts, wrote lyrics and melody, and presented it at a songwriter’s circle.  Many group members were impressed that I could tackle an interesting topic like the foibles of the advertising industry in clever ways. Using Snake Oil as a central lyric certainly seemed fitting. Feedback from the circle also prompted me to revise the musical idea for the chorus sections.

Months later, I got my friend Kira Braun to sing the chorus part along with my own. Thanks Kira for the wonderful job!

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Four outta five dentists agree
We’ll make your smile yellow-stain-free

Drive away ‘till your dreams come true
But it’s a closed road and pro driver, not you

Spray your body with our magic mist
Then watch beauty goddesses turn and twist

We’re selling snake oil
The kind that you need
To live the life that you lead

We’re selling snake oil
To fill all the cracks
Of the joys that you lack

We’re selling snake oil
You’ll gain confidence
After you spend
Your dollars and sense

Buy that new gadget whether you need it or not
(Check out my fancy phone)
We’ll invent a new problem, solved after you’ve bought (Tweet my peeps on the go)
Purchase our scent, you’ll smell like a peach
(New fragrance from J.Lo)
Then frolic and flirt with that hunk on a beach
(You’re sexy don’t you know)

We’re selling snake oil
The kind that you need
To live the life that you lead

We’re selling snake oil
The kind that won’t leak
But you’ll buy more
On special next week
We’re selling snake oil

It’s all fat-free, just a disguise
For all the sugar that goes right to your thighs

Just be careful before you buy
As some conditions may apply