Art, How is Cocaine a song of hope? I love the song, I perform it regularly, but, a song of hope it is not. Depending on which version you listen to the singer/addict gets shot or at least attacked with a frying pan by his girl friend, harassed by the cops, violently ill, dumped, warned that it will kill him , but, the doc won't say when, winds up on the corner with his money for his room and board gone, and/or finally laid 6 feet under the ground after that damned cocaine gets all around his brain. Unless you want to follow it with Lay My Burden Down, Cross The River Jordan , or Soon My Work Will All Be Done it is not a happy piece. "Take a Whiff on me" is at least fun and nieve enough to possibly hold some promise of false hope.