After an extended sabbatical from songwriting, I began composing new music again in the winter of 2019.

“The Two of Deceit” was my first new song in at least five years, maybe more.

I originally composed the track in a major key. It featured bizarre references to missions and politicians. President Obama received a shout out in this line: “Maybe you can give me some hope and some change.”

I didn’t make extensive revisions to the verse lyrics, but I moved the song from a major key to a minor key and subsequently altered the melody. On a sleepless Friday night, with two long weekend shifts ahead of me, I rewrote the song’s chorus.

Don’t you look away

Give me a chance

I’m dazed, I’m confused,

and I just wanna dance

No, this ain’t my wedding

I don’t need a gown

But man

you know I love it

when you spin me around

One more time

Blow my mind

and get up on your feet

Let’s do

the two step of deceit

 

In those lyrics, you may have noticed my allusion to Dazed and Confused, the classic 1993 film that chronicles a group of sex-crazed teens on their last day of high school. There’s a great scene in the movie where a character named Mike, played by Adam Goldberg, comes to terms with being a misanthrope while cruising around town with his friends, Tony and Cynthia.

Mike’s original career goal was to become a civil rights attorney and help marginalized people. Then he takes a fateful trip to the post office, where he’s repulsed by what he sees: dudes in wife beaters, exposed butt cracks, and so on. As he waits in line to send his package, he realizes he despises people and therefore has no interest in helping them.

Tony and Cynthia ask Mike what he intends to do with his life, if he’s not going to be a lawyer.

Mike leans forward and then dramatically declares his ambition. “I wanna dance!” he exclaims.

The line “I’m dazed, I’m confused, and I just wanna dance” is my tribute to Mike, the misanthrope, my favorite character from the movie Dazed and Confused.

“The Two Step of Deceit” also contains a nod to the top-selling “Girl Power” group of the ‘90s.

 

We can forget

about the future

Oh, I wanna be . . .

I wanna be your lover

but not under the covers

right here, honey,

you and me

 

The “wannabe” line is a reference to the 1996 smash hit “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls. I pretended not to like it, but I was lying. I love everything about the song—the piano intro, the interplay between the singers, the infectious groove, and the cheap and cheesy, awesomely terrible music video.

It took me ten years to finish “The Two Step of Deceit.” Given the amount of time I spent on it, the song should be exponentially better than it is, both musically and lyrically. But the result is still respectable, I think. Track below.