Flowers on the Wall
Johnny Cash & The Statler Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
While you and your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun
Countin' flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playin' solitaire till dawn
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, I'm 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 till 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
Ladies and gentlemen, the Statler Brothers
Don, Harold, Phil and Lew, the Statler Brothers
In "Flowers On the Wall," Johnny Cash & The Statler Brothers seem to be responding to someone who is concerned about their happiness. However, the singer is dismissive of this person's concerns and believes that they have nothing to worry about. The lyrics, "While you and your friends are worried about me, I'm having lots of fun," suggest that the singer feels that the concerned party is unnecessarily interfering in their life.
The song's chorus, "Countin' flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all; playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one," portrays the singer's boredom and isolation. They are essentially entertaining themselves by doing mundane activities like counting flowers and playing solitaire. The line, "Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo," reinforces the idea that the singer is disengaged from the world around them and is using these activities to fill a void.
The final lines of the song, "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," suggest a reluctance to leave the safety of their room and venture out into the world. It seems that the singer is content to remain in their current state of boredom rather than risk the uncertainty of change.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
You seem worried about me, but I'm happy and don't need your concern.
All that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
Your constant worrying is just making me feel guilty for no reason.
If I were walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
If our situations were reversed, I wouldn't be worried about you at all.
While you and your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun
You're fussing over me, but I'm having a great time on my own.
Countin' flowers on the wall
I'm so bored, I'm counting the patterns on the wallpaper.
That don't bother me at all
I'm not even slightly fazed by this dull activity.
Playin' solitaire till dawn
I'm passing so much time that I'm playing solitaire all night long.
With a deck of fifty-one
I don't even have a full deck of cards to keep me company!
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
To pass the time, I'm smoking and watching children's television.
Now don't tell me
Don't try to convince me otherwise about my boring lifestyle.
I've nothin' to do
I'm bored out of my mind, but I'm not willing to try anything else.
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
Last night, I got dressed up fancy and pretended to have a night out.
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
As long as I'm dreaming of a more exciting life, I won't settle for anything less.
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
I'm actually okay, so you don't need to worry about me at all.
You can always find me here, I'm havin' quite a time
I'm always here, doing the same boring things, but I like it that way.
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Nice to see you, but I probably look awful right now because I've been doing nothing all day.
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
I've been sitting in the dark for so long that my eyes are sensitive to light now.
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
My feet are sore because I haven't been walking around much.
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
I'm heading back to my room to continue my daily routine of boredom and idleness.
Don, Harold, Phil and Lew, the Statler Brothers
Just a shout-out to the band behind this mundane song.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lewis Dewitt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind