Voiceover talent Norman Rose read the "poem" and Melissa Manchester was a background singer on the chorus section of the song.
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Deteriorata is a parody of Les Crane's 1971 spoken word recording of Desiderata, the early 20th century poem by Max Ehrmann.
Deteriorata, parody and portmanteau of "Desiderata" and "deteriorate"
In 1972, National Lampoon's Deteriorata (a spoof of Desiderata, then enjoying a measure of popular attention thanks to a spoken word recording) singled out Gaines-Burgers "with cheese" in order to poke fun at modern product advertising using the line, "Take heart amid the deepening gloom that your dog is finally getting enough cheese."