Cheerful phrasing clashes with the subject of the song, exposing the narrator's disturbing idea of doing good. This is a fictional satirical portrait, not an endorsement of drug sales. The four printed quatrains are reproduced in full.
When the shades of night are falling,
Comes a fellow everyone knows.
It's the old dope peddler,
Spreading joy wherever he goes.
Every evening you will find him,
Around our neighborhood.
It's the old dope peddler,
Doing well by doing good.
He gives the kids free samples,
Because he knows full well
That today's young innocent faces
Will be tomorrow's clientele.
Here's a cure for all your troubles,
Here's an end to all distress.
It's the old dope peddler
With his powdered happiness.