Alpert's musical accomplishments include five number one hits, twenty-eight albums on the Billboard charts, eight Grammy Awards, fourteen Platinum albums and fifteen Gold albums. As of 1996, Alpert had sold 72 million albums worldwide.
He was also the founder, along with Jerry Moss, of the legendary, artist-oriented record label, A&M Records.
A couple of the greatest artists of the 60's and 70's that he got to shine on A&M records were The Carpenters and Natalie Cole.
Flowers on the Wall
Herb Alpert Lyrics
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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
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'till dawn with a deck of fifty one
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
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire 'till dawn with a deck of fifty one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me, I've nothin' to do
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
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
Don't tell me, I've nothin' to do
In this song, the singer is responding to someone who has been overly concerned about their happiness. The singer acknowledges the concern but refutes the need to worry, stating that they are actually having a great time. The rest of the song highlights the activities that the singer is enjoying while the concern from others persists. These activities include counting flowers on the wall, playing solitaire until dawn with a deck of fifty-one cards, smoking cigarettes, and watching Captain Kangaroo.
The line "Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town" implies that the singer is dressing up and living out their own fantasies in their room. They are content to be alone, having the freedom to do exactly what they want. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes this, insisting that the singer truly has "nothing to do" and doesn't need anyone else's concern.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearin' your concern about my happiness
I'm constantly hearing about your worry towards my happiness
All that thought you've given me is conscience I guess
All the thoughts you've shared with me have made me more self-aware
If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
If I was in your situation, I wouldn't be worried at all
While you and your friends are worryin' 'bout me
I'm havin' lots of fun
You and your friends are concerned about me, but I'm having a great time
Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
I'm content with just staring at the flowers on the wall
Playin' solitaire 'till dawn with a deck of fifty one
I'm playing solitaire all night long with a deck of cards missing one
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
I'm smoking cigarettes and watching a children's TV show
Now don't tell me, I've nothin' to do
Don't say that I have nothing to do
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
Last night I dressed up and pretended I was out for the night
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
As long as I can dream, it's hard to stop having fun
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
Please don't worry about me, I'm doing well
You can always find me here and havin' quite a time
You can always find me here, enjoying myself
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
It's nice to see you, but I must leave, even though I may look disheveled
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light
Regardless, my eyes aren't used to this brightness
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
And my shoes aren't used to walking on this hard surface
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
So I need to return to my room to complete my day
Don't tell me, I've nothin' to do
Don't say that I have nothing to do
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEWIS DEWITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind