▁over ▁his ▁head ," ▁" b ills ▁and ▁the ▁water ▁rates ▁and ▁pay ments ▁on ▁the ▁car ," ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁nos y ▁and ▁med d les ome ▁neighb ors . ▁ ▁Dav ies ▁provides ▁a ▁note ▁of ▁em path y ▁for ▁Arthur ' s ▁empty ▁life ▁in ▁a ▁line ▁stating ▁that ▁he ▁accepts ▁this ▁because ▁" he ' s ▁condition ed ▁that ▁way ." ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁bridge ▁rocks ▁harder ▁as ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁express ▁anger ▁at ▁the ▁super f icial ▁sub urban ▁l ifest yle ▁that ▁Arthur ▁has ▁bought ▁into ▁and ▁his ▁fear ▁of ▁confront ing ▁a ▁" false ▁E den ." ▁ ▁The ▁band ' s ▁guitar ist , ▁Dave ▁Dav ies , ▁has ▁since ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁song ' s ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁misunder stood . ▁He ▁said , ▁" Part icular ly , ▁I ▁like ▁' Sh ang ri - La ,' ▁a ▁very ▁comp ass ion ate ▁song ▁which ▁was ▁totally ▁mis inter pre ted ▁as ▁though ▁we ▁were ▁having ▁a ▁go ▁at ▁the ▁little , ▁common ▁man ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Music ▁critic ▁Johnny ▁Rog an ▁calls ▁the ▁song ▁" one ▁of ▁Dav ies ' ▁best ▁from ▁the ▁period ," ▁not ing ▁that ▁" his ▁amb ival ence ▁to ▁the ▁subject ▁is ▁evident ▁throughout ▁as ▁he ▁takes ▁an ▁altern ately ▁affection ate ▁and ▁s ard onic ▁look ▁at ▁cos y ▁middle ▁class ▁asp iration ." ▁ ▁All music ▁critic ▁Stewart ▁Mason ▁agre es ▁that ▁" Sh ang ri - La " ▁is ▁" one ▁of