▁insp iration ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁back ▁to ▁when ▁the ▁band ▁visited ▁the ▁Dav ies ▁brothers ' ▁sister , ▁Rose , ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁in ▁Australia , ▁the ▁" des igned ▁community " ▁that ▁the ▁family ▁lived ▁in ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁initial ▁lyr ical ▁insp iration . ▁ ▁The ▁song ' s ▁highly ▁ir onic ▁lyr ics ▁comment ▁on ▁British ▁class ▁society ▁while ▁port ray ing ▁Arthur , ▁the ▁album ' s ▁ill - f ated ▁protagon ist , ▁and ▁his ▁empty ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁sub ur bs . ▁ ▁The ▁musical ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁both ▁reflect ▁and ▁comment ▁on ▁the ▁m ood ▁of ▁the ▁lyr ics . ▁ ▁" Sh ang ri - La " ▁was ▁released ▁as ▁the ▁second ▁single ▁from ▁Arthur ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁back ed ▁with ▁" This ▁Man ▁He ▁We eps ▁Ton ight ." ▁The ▁single ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁failure , ▁not ▁reaching ▁the ▁charts ▁in ▁any ▁countries ▁besides ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁band , ▁however , ▁thought ▁highly ▁of ▁the ▁song , ▁with ▁both ▁Dave ▁Dav ies ▁and ▁John ▁Dal ton ▁sing ling ▁it ▁out ▁for ▁pra ise . ▁ ▁L yr ics ▁and ▁music ▁ ▁The ▁initial ▁insp iration ▁for ▁" Sh ang ri - La " ▁came ▁when ▁Rose ▁Dav ies , ▁the ▁sister ▁of ▁K inks ▁members ▁Ray ▁and ▁Dave ▁Dav ies , ▁moved ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁to ▁Australia . ▁When ▁the ▁band ▁performed ▁a ▁show ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁during ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the