"Past the church and the steeple,
the laundry on the hill"
I think the imagery in the song can be read literally, in which case it's about a businessman travelling out of town and having an affair there. However, I also think that they have more significant symbolic meanings, While he may simply be passing the "church and the steeple" as he drives/flies/rides the train out of town, he's also leaving behind what they represent, his marriage. Likewise, the "laundry on the hill" represents his domestic, married life.
"Past the church and the steeple, the laundry on the hill"
I think the imagery in the song can be read literally, in which case it's about a businessman travelling out of town and having an affair there. However, I also think that they have more significant symbolic meanings, While he may simply be passing the "church and the steeple" as he drives/flies/rides the train out of town, he's also leaving behind what they represent, his marriage. Likewise, the "laundry on the hill" represents his domestic, married life.