Eric Heatherly – Counting Flowers on the Wall

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I keep hearin' your concern about my happiness
But all that thought you've given me is, conscience I guess
If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
While you and your friends are worryin''bout me, I'm havin' lots of fun

[Chorus]
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'til dawn, with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothin' to do

Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
You can always find me here and havin' quite a time

It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

[Chorus]

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Lyrics submitted by OpinionHead

"Flowers on the Wall" as written by Lewis Dewitt

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

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Counting Flowers on the Wall song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:There are two examples I know where this song has featured in movies and, coincidentally or not, they are both associated with the actor Bruce Willis. In Pulp Fiction the song is playing on the car radio as Willis' character Butch is driving and he sings along. In Die Hard III Police Officer Maclean (Willis) quotes from the song.

    In both movies the main line we hear, either sung or spoken, is "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo". The context in which the song is played is of interest here because it is also the same in both movies. In Pulp Fiction the song plays shortly after Butch has effectively retired from professional boxing by the defrauding his promoter and he intends to abscond with the money and start a new life in which professional activities (i.e. work) will no longer be required. In Die Hard III the quote appears when Maclean confirms that he is under suspension, and thus uses the song to express his idleness and presumed boredom.

    We must conclude, therefore, that in spite of what we think the song may be about, Hollywood has already decided that it is about unemployment with which it equates boredom, insanity, drug use, and above all - criminality.
    Flag skankworkson May 14, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song was written by The Staler Brothers original tenor singer, Lew Dewitt. He and fellow Statler, Harold Reid, worked at the state mental hospital in Staunton, VA. The song is the story of the residents there. So, yes it is an insane asylum! Not to mention a fun song.
    Flag BuggersEOon October 17, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The man is obviously suffering from a mental illness. He could be in an asylum or in a Board and Care facility for the mentally ill. Either way, he's isolated and depressed. The person he's talking to could as likely be a visitor or another patient as anyone else -- or even his doctor or social worker. As for the concrete, these types of places usually do have concrete floors but, if he spends all his time in his room, he's not used to walking on them. This song reminds me of several people I know and I have had episodes where it fits me to a T. Let's hear it for mental illness! Ain't it grand . . .
    Flag BashBearon February 10, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Lezgurl you are right it is about a scizophrenic stuck on a binge in his room you can read about it anywhere online. An old scizophrenic friend of mine used to sing it all the time when he'd go ooff his meds that's how we knew he was off of them :)
    Flag jepie30on January 07, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:well i take the song literally just a guy who doesn't want to see a woman and doing everything else to avoid it
    Flag mrkoolnerdon December 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:A guy at work told me it's about a guy in prison...."Captain Kangaroo" was a slang inmates used to call the guards and wardens,also a deck of cards has 52 cards and so he's obviously missing one...and not being accustomed to the light could be from being in his cell...it could be about an asylum too.
    Flag tyranny_soulson November 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think, its about a man having some serious image issues. Really messed up in the head, dealing with a break up with a woman because of it. "i keep hearing your concerned about my happiness, all that thought youve given me is concious i guess" pretty valid if you could picture yourself in the sit.....

    Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town.
    As long as I can dream, it's hard to slow this swinger down.
    So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doing fine.
    You can always find me here, having quite a time.



    Well, it's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright.
    Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light.
    And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete.
    So I must go back to my room and make my day complete


    Crossdresser. or gender challenged....

    Flag kelz420on April 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I completely agree that he's in an insane asylum. This is made more evident in the music video, where the flowers randomly appear on the stark white walls of a small room and with things like the levitating cards. The person he's singing to is probably just another thing in his imagination, something he's had to do to cope with the boredom.
    Flag EncyclopediaLyricaon February 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:OK agrophobia is a nice idea for this song, but not exact I suppose. I think (based on my own experiences as a sufferer of Depression and various other disorders) that this song fits the best with general anxiety disorder. As a whole this man's symptoms and suggested activities fit with general anxiety and depression, but then again what do I know.
    Flag ghugheson December 31, 2008   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:People are trying to read way to much into this song. It's just a guy who's girl/wife left him & now he's depressed but trying to hide it from his ex.
    Flag ghostwatchon May 12, 2008   Link
    • 4 Replies

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