Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
I keep hearin' you're concerned about my happiness
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 'n' 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 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, 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
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 'n' 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 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, 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
Lyrics submitted by Nelly
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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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. <br /> <br /> For those of you who are skeptical...<br /> "Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" - He's not playing with a full deck.<br /> <br /> "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. <br /> <br /> "Anyway my eyes are not accustomed to this light<br /> 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.<br /> <br /> "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. <br /> <br /> "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. <br /> <br /> "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. <br /> <br /> <br /> 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.
Agoraphobia. The song is upbeat and happy. He doesn't sing it in a sarcastic tone. It makes a lot of sense. See a bigger post under the Eric Heatherly remake lyrics. (Same thing, sung by a different guy)
It's such a clever song. The guy is in denial. He has secluded himself in his dark room and his life boils down to insomnia, watching children's programs, smoking, and playing solitaire, but he's obviously not playing with a full deck ("deck of 51"). People keep trying to get him out in the real world and he resists.
The tune reflects his inner turmoil: the verses are all very chipper and upbeat, with the singer telling you how great he is. But then the chorus kicks in with that ominous drum as he tells you exactly what he does by himself, hinting that something is not quite right.
I used to think this song was about a person who didn't realize he was crazy, but the older I get the more I think he just doesn't know how to be okay anymore. This routine is the only coping mechanism he knows and over time it has become normal to him.
Overall it's a masterclass in songwriting.
Notes:
(Oh yeah, and the title reminds me of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" where the wallpaper makes the main character crazy.)
Such a fun song :D
I think it’s about a guy who has been rejected or broke up with his loved one and has shunned himself from everyday life, playing solitaire,smoking,staring at the wallpaper, and watching kiddie shows. He also assures his concerned acquaintances that he is “really doing fine”. In the lines: “It’s good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright” he is basically saying that he’s upset and whatever’s done is done and telling whoever did him wrong to stop apologizing and go on with their lives, whereas, the singer, will be scarred for life by his rejection, break up, or just his past social life.
I think this song is great, kind of remembers me when i finished college and i couldn't get a job (i had nothing to do) and all the people were kind of worried about it and bothering me all the time ( asking me what about my search) but i was just doing fine...
"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"
to me, this song is just about a guy living life how he wants to by doing not much at all. other people start giving him grief about it, and trying to get him to change and this is the song about how perfectly happy he is.
i can most certainly relate to that.
"Playin' solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one" One of my all-time favorite lyrics.
i agree with goodreverend. I think that the song is very sarcastic, which is blatantly indicated by the chorus. In essence, he's saying: I'm not alright. But whether he's saying to F off or that he misses the person is unclear...
He's pretty much saying, "I'd rather be at home doin' nothing that be here with you." lmao... one of the best songs I've ever heard. (: Amazing, really... But I liked the way the Eric Heatherly cover sounded more than the statler brothers one.