The verses of the song step through the seasons of the year, starting with summer, and ending with spring. Each of these verses/seasons mirrors a man’s life from beginning to end.

The breaks between the verses hints at the events of the following seasons (e.g. things were falling apart, time for regrowth …)

The first verse covers the summer days (first part) of the man’s life, describing where he first went wrong.

The autumn walks through his descent into crime and homelessness to keep going. We also see his internal struggle – he goes to church and “strives for betterment”. Yet, the end of the verse foreshadows that the next part of life will only get worse.

The third verse narrates the transition into winter, when the man’s life has almost collapsed and he feels bitter about everything. The main event here is the murder of his cheating wife and winding up in jail.

On the turn of spring, the man is now out of jail and seeking repentance; actively trying to normalcy. This hints that there may still be hope for him. Although he is now free (from jail), he is not free from his drug history. While this verse does not bring about the conclusion of his life, we see he is on the verge of repeating the cycle.

Thus, the turn of seasons is symbolic of all this being in a cycle – no matter how hard the man tries, he is destined to repeat his mistakes. This could also be extended further – the next generation born into a vicious cycle of abuse, crime, and trying to climb back out.