When I was a kid, I thought this was just a silly song about a guy wasting time. For some reason, the song came to me, and I looked up the lyrics 'cause I couldn't think of them, and it was driving me crazy. Even before I looked up the complete lyrics, it occured to me that this is about a guy that's seriously depressed and his friend (probably his girlfriend and they are broken up now, and that's why he's so depressed) is concerned about him. He's not really "counting flowers on the wall", etc., he's telling her to buzz off. He's been locked in his room for so long that he can't stand the sun light. He says he "dressed in tails," yet he knows he "looks a fright." He's not been taking care of his grooming while he's been holed up in his room. The friend has good reason to be concerned about him, and he's telling her to get lost in a round about way.