▁Dav ies ▁brothers ▁visited ▁their ▁sister ▁in ▁the ▁Ad ela ide ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Elizabeth , ▁where ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁semi - det ached ▁home ▁in ▁a ▁" des igned ▁community ." ▁This ▁event ▁was ▁later ▁used ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁the ▁song ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁track ▁forms ▁the ▁cent rep ie ce ▁of ▁Arthur ▁( Or ▁the ▁Dec line ▁and ▁Fall ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ). ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁opens ▁quietly ▁with ▁the ▁pick ing ▁of ▁an ▁ac oust ic ▁guitar ▁in ▁a ▁minor ▁key , ▁soon ▁to ▁be ▁joined ▁by ▁Dav ies ▁singing . ▁ ▁The ▁lyr ics ▁are ▁r ife ▁with ▁comment ary ▁on ▁British ▁class ▁society ▁and ▁are ▁highly ▁ir onic , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁beginning ▁seem ingly ▁cond esc ending , ▁as ▁they ▁mock ▁the ▁ill us ions ▁of ▁the ▁protagon ist ▁Arthur , ▁speaking ▁of ▁his ▁mod est ▁home , ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁paid ▁for ▁through ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁to il ▁and ▁hard ▁work , ▁as ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁some ▁kind ▁of ▁parad ise ▁or ▁" king dom ▁to ▁command ," ▁re ple te ▁with ▁typical ▁modern ▁conven ien ces ▁such ▁as ▁ind oor ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁a ▁rock ing ▁chair , ▁unlike ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁working - class ▁house ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁with ▁" lav ator ies ▁in ▁the ▁back ▁yard ," ▁but ▁which ▁has ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁become ▁str ang ling ▁and ▁prison like ▁with ▁" mort g age ▁h anging