Flowers on the Wall
Pulp Fiction/The Statler Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But all that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
If I was 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
The lyrics of the song Flowers On The Wall by The Statler Brothers, which featured in the movie Pulp Fiction, speak about how the singer is content and comfortable with his solitude, despite his friends’ concerns for his happiness. The singer dismisses the worries of his friends that he may be unhappy or lonely, stating that he finds joy in being alone. He enjoys countin' flowers on the wall, playing solitaire, smoking cigarettes, and watching TV all day. He even dresses up in tails and imagines himself being out and about in the town.
The singer is, in fact, happier on his own, without the interference of anyone else. All that the kindness and concern of his friends are providing is conscience, which is weighing him down. However, he must leave his comfortable routine as his eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness of his room, and he must go out in the light. The song presents a theme of self-sufficiency and the idea that happiness can be found within oneself. It also represents a kind of reactive disconnect that can arise between people who fail to truly understand each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
You seem to be worried about my wellbeing
But all that thought you're givin' me is conscience I guess
However, I believe your concern is just your own conscience bothering you
If I was walkin' in your shoes, I wouldn't worry none
If our roles were reversed, I wouldn't be concerned about myself like you are
While you and your friends are worried about me I'm havin' lots of fun
Despite your concerns, I'm actually having a great time
Countin' flowers on the wall
Passing time by doing something pointless and repetitive
That don't bother me at all
I don't mind doing something unproductive and meaningless
Playin' solitaire till dawn
Playing a solitary card game for an extended period of time
With a deck of fifty-one
Using a deck of cards with 51 cards instead of the standard 52
Smokin' cigarettes and watchin' Captain Kangaroo
Engaging in activities that are enjoyable but probably unhealthy
Now don't tell me
You better not say that I'm wasting my time
I've nothin' to do
I have plenty to do, even if it's not productive or meaningful
Last night I dressed in tails, pretended I was on the town
I spent my time getting dressed up and pretending to be someone I'm not
As long as I can dream it's hard to slow this swinger down
As long as I have my imagination, I won't stop having a good time
So please don't give a thought to me, I'm really doin' fine
Please don't worry about me, I'm actually doing great
You can always find me here, I'm havin' quite a time
You can always find me doing something enjoyable and unproductive
It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Nice seeing you, but excuse how I look, I've been having too much fun
Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light
I'm not used to the bright light outside my room
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
My shoes are more comfortable indoors than on the hard pavement
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete
I need to return to my room to finish my enjoyable, yet unproductive, day
Don't tell me
Please don't criticize my lifestyle
I've nothin' to do
Even if it seems like I'm not doing anything, I'm actually living my life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lewis Dewitt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@guitarist8688
The part where he does the low-voiced "Kangaroo" is one of my favourite moments in the film.
It's the little insignificant moments and conversations that make the movie for me!
@timg8421
+guitarist8688 yes I always have to sing along to that part..also the part when the smack dealer yells at his wife " I don't know stop bothering me!"
@VoiceNerd
guitarist8688 It's not insignificant at all actually. That's truly the beauty of this scene. It showcases one quirk to a character such as someone giving a twang to a note in a song. You're right though, it is small but it adds another detail or layer to the character.
@provost5752
I think what makes it so cool is we all do the exact same thing in the car when we are alone and listening to the radio.
@missayawk
Thats the ONLY way to say " KAAAAANGaroo"
@samuelfreeland
I like it too when he said kangaroo in a low voice 😄😄😄
@katetovar2832
I can't get over how when they meet eyes the song says "it's good to see you I must go" lmfao
@TooCooFoYou
What's funnier is the fact that the lyrics directly relates to Butch.
@castlebravo1467
...timing is everything.
@shaggydog9789
I’ve seen movie so many times over the past 25 years and I can’t believe that I never noticed that before!