When I first heard this song, I also thought of a bad relationship, but not one in which the wife does all the work and the man doesn't put anything into it. What I heard was a story of a wife who has explosive episodes ("slamming of the door") but is normally calm and tending to her hobbies (apparently she doesn't like any season except spring, as it is not mentioned as a season in which the baskets will be on the floor). The relationship is generally good, but because of those episodes, the husband doesn't want to be there anymore, but he loves her and doesn't blame her so he stays. It only says, "in his mind". He knows he'll be back, but there's that part of him that wants to be freed from this. Those trips to buy her things after she blows up are his temporary escape. He fantasizes about driving away and leaving her. I also see this as being in the 50s on a farm. Hanging baskets on a wall just makes me think of that. And, "he'll go to buy her Turtle Wax". I hear that and think of someone "going into town" from the country.
I almost forgot perspective! I think the POV is from someone who knows the couple and has seen this play out over and over with them. And he's talking to someone who's just seeing the baskets being hung and doesn't know the history.
When I first heard this song, I also thought of a bad relationship, but not one in which the wife does all the work and the man doesn't put anything into it. What I heard was a story of a wife who has explosive episodes ("slamming of the door") but is normally calm and tending to her hobbies (apparently she doesn't like any season except spring, as it is not mentioned as a season in which the baskets will be on the floor). The relationship is generally good, but because of those episodes, the husband doesn't want to be there anymore, but he loves her and doesn't blame her so he stays. It only says, "in his mind". He knows he'll be back, but there's that part of him that wants to be freed from this. Those trips to buy her things after she blows up are his temporary escape. He fantasizes about driving away and leaving her. I also see this as being in the 50s on a farm. Hanging baskets on a wall just makes me think of that. And, "he'll go to buy her Turtle Wax". I hear that and think of someone "going into town" from the country.
I almost forgot perspective! I think the POV is from someone who knows the couple and has seen this play out over and over with them. And he's talking to someone who's just seeing the baskets being hung and doesn't know the history.