When you hear it for the first time, it’s a remarkably stupid song about a milkshake.
Then, worlds open.
Jerry: Darryl, the obvious initial impression one would get from this song is, “WHAT THE HELL?!” followed by, “Oh, this must be a sexual reference..” This song is far far deeper than that. This song, is about business. It is about marketing, secrets of the trade, and good business conduct.
Kelis is using a Milkshake recipe as an example. Everyone wants her Milkshake, but it’s her secret recipe. If she were to give it away she would shatter the market and lose her customers to the lowest price. She’s demonstrating the inverse relationship between Supply and Demand. When it is only her supplying the “good” milkshake, the demand is high, and thus prices can be higher because there are no competitors. If others were to have her recipe, the supply would go up and the demand would go down, thus losing her customers and profit.
She does bring up the idea of licensing though. Kelis obviously would not sell her rights to her recipe, that would just be stupid. She does talk about teaching others the recipe for a charge. I would have to assume that she will be selling it for an outrageous price to make up for the lost customers she will have in return. Generally I’d say she would be better to make a franchise, but this is her song, not mine.
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