anyone who knows much about the statlers know that they are from staunton virginia, which is the home of western state mental hospital. this song is about lew dewitt's time spent in that mental facility.
I agree. Anyone who listens to this song and misses all the clues pointing to the singer being in a mental institution isn't really listening at all.
I agree. Anyone who listens to this song and misses all the clues pointing to the singer being in a mental institution isn't really listening at all.
For those of you who are skeptical...
"Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" - He's not playing with a full deck.
For those of you who are skeptical...
"Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" - He's not playing with a full deck.
"Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo" - Back in the 60's when this was written they would have allowed inmates to smoke to keep them docile and put Captain Kangaroo on the TV because it was less likely to rile patients up.
"Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo" - Back in the 60's when this was written they would have allowed inmates to smoke to keep them docile and put Captain Kangaroo on the TV because it was less likely to rile patients up.
"Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete" - He's stuck in a padded cell all day, he's not used to being out in the bright sunshine and walking on concrete.
"Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town" - Before it's all buckled up a straight jacket has long tails on the back, kinda looks like an old tux with tails.
"It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright" - Visiting hours are over, it's time to go back to his room. As for the looking a fright, I would assume your grooming opportunities are somewhat limited in a mental hospital.
"Countin' flowers on the wall" - This one is a but of a stretch, but sorta makes sense. I once heard someone say that in a padded room the pads would be fastened to the wall at regular intervals. Where each of these attachments was made puckered the padding, making a sort of flowery looking dent in the wall. Being stuck in a room like that for hours on end, it's not a hard to imagine someone counting all the "flowers" on their walls.
Personally, I think this song tells the story of a guy who had a nervous breakdown because of a breakup. He's talking to the woman he was involved with who has come to visit him because she feels guilty about him being there. He's trying to ease her mind by telling her he likes it and it has nothing to do with her, even though we know he doesn't believe any of that.
anyone who knows much about the statlers know that they are from staunton virginia, which is the home of western state mental hospital. this song is about lew dewitt's time spent in that mental facility.
I agree. Anyone who listens to this song and misses all the clues pointing to the singer being in a mental institution isn't really listening at all.
I agree. Anyone who listens to this song and misses all the clues pointing to the singer being in a mental institution isn't really listening at all.
For those of you who are skeptical... "Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" - He's not playing with a full deck.
For those of you who are skeptical... "Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" - He's not playing with a full deck.
"Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo" - Back in the 60's when this was written they would have allowed inmates to smoke to keep them docile and put Captain Kangaroo on the TV because it was less likely to rile patients up.
"Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo" - Back in the 60's when this was written they would have allowed inmates to smoke to keep them docile and put Captain Kangaroo on the TV because it was less likely to rile patients up.
"Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete" - He's stuck in a padded cell all day, he's not used to being out in the bright sunshine and walking on concrete.
"Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town" - Before it's all buckled up a straight jacket has long tails on the back, kinda looks like an old tux with tails.
"It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright" - Visiting hours are over, it's time to go back to his room. As for the looking a fright, I would assume your grooming opportunities are somewhat limited in a mental hospital.
"Countin' flowers on the wall" - This one is a but of a stretch, but sorta makes sense. I once heard someone say that in a padded room the pads would be fastened to the wall at regular intervals. Where each of these attachments was made puckered the padding, making a sort of flowery looking dent in the wall. Being stuck in a room like that for hours on end, it's not a hard to imagine someone counting all the "flowers" on their walls.
Personally, I think this song tells the story of a guy who had a nervous breakdown because of a breakup. He's talking to the woman he was involved with who has come to visit him because she feels guilty about him being there. He's trying to ease her mind by telling her he likes it and it has nothing to do with her, even though we know he doesn't believe any of that.
@jco448 partially correct, you make it sound as if Lew was a patient. He was not. His dad was the hospital administrator and Lew worked there.
@jco448 partially correct, you make it sound as if Lew was a patient. He was not. His dad was the hospital administrator and Lew worked there.