Summer Side Of Life

I won't begin to try to explain what the artist is feeling here, but I just absolutely love the term "Summer side of Life".........Maybe you have to be where I am now, in the Late Autumn side of Life to fully appreciate the Summer side of Life. To all those in the Summer side..........I have one word of advice: Enjoy life......treasure every moment.

Released in 1971, the US was still at war in Vietnam.

So, young girls talking to the young men they knew all night long .. going off to fight. That sounds to me like the boys are off to 'Nam.

The crying may be because of difficult war memories, or about coming home and marrying what ultimately turned out to be the wrong girl - or both. I think it is both.

I think this is definitely a sad homage to a soldier's innocence vs.experience in the Vietnam war.

He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life His love was ripe

---the "field" is a battlefield --"green" is a word used to describe someone who lacks experience --"summer" represents youth -- the "love" that was "ripe" the patriotism and loyalty toward his country and his eagerness to contribute in an important way; the "love" could be toward the enemy whom the U.S. had hoped to win the hearts and minds of

There was no illusions --the soldier felt the war was noble and righteous perhaps

There was young girls everywhere On the summer side of life They talked all night

--"young girls" who are equally inexperienced who wait at home --"talk" about the sadness and pride of his endeavor and plans for the future

He came down through fields of green On the summer side of life He prayed all night

--once faced with the realities and brutality of war, the young man just "prays" to finish his tour of duty with his life

Then he walked into a house Where love had been misplaced His chance to waste

--the "house" could be a village hut occupied by Viet Cong--or even civilians--or the dwelling place of the enemy who hates "love...misplaced" the soldier --to "waste" is to kill, perhaps for his own survival, perhaps for revenge, perhaps because the mission (seek and destroy) calls for it (he cleaned "house")

And if you saw him now You'd wonder why he would cry The whole day long

--he cries "the whole day long" not literally but the experience has definitely changed him; perhaps he mourns for his innocence lost from taking human life, perhaps he participated in a massacre, perhaps he mourns for the 52,000 + soldiers who died in Vietnam, perhaps feels betrayed by some of our nations elders who created the "illusion" that the war was noble and necessary. The crying could be PTSD he suffers from since his return home because of the horrors experienced in war.

And if you saw him now You'd wonder why

--no one really understands him, they "wonder why" he cries

The song begins on the summer side of life when everything is fresh, bright and full of sunny optimism.

Verse1: A new love is entered into with a state of innocence, hope and optimism but now the relationship has died and if we saw him now we'd see nothing but sorrow and wonder why.

Verse2. At a time when young lovers make plans for their future together, they are abruptly ended when young men are called off to war. Their dreams of a life together are in upheaval when faced with the prospect of war.

Verse3. In reference to the time that Jesus, the innocent and perfect one who came into this world to bring peace, love and hope, walked into the market and became enraged as he began overturning tables in disgust over the promotion of corruption and sin that he saw there. As the song concludes we see that nothing has changed since then and are left to contemplate the summer side of life and wonder why the world is this way.

The He is Jesus. In the '72 BBC concert , Gord repeated the first verse twice. Second time he sang, "He came down to save us all on the summer side of life."

The song keeps expanding: from an individual man, to young lovers separated by war, to the archetypal redeemer himself. Each verse circles back to the same aching image of weeping, as though no matter who you are, man, woman, or saviour, the world breaks your heart. It’s not just grief for a single person, but for generations, for youth cut short, for love misplaced, and for the world’s heartbreaks that repeat over and over. Finally, the phrasing—“you’d wonder why”—directly addresses the listener. It makes you pause and confront the sadness yourself. You’re not just observing; you’re implicated in the mystery of his suffering.

There’s existential grief in the song: it’s not just about personal loss or wartime tragedy, but a timeless lament for the world’s inability to live up to its own ideals, the “summer side of life” constantly overshadowed by human imperfection.

Hopeful idealism destroyed by the realities of life.

The big finish certainly underscores the depth and sadness that the summer side of life has passed; the gospel backing vocals suggest a spiritual connection. I like John's comments.

sounds right to me sammyblue... it's funny how society seems to destroy everything good in the world...

"Then he walked into a house Where love had been misplaced His chance to waste". This is a big verse; if in the war paradigm correct; a sad moment; and you don't have to wonder why he cried the whole day long.