SHANGRI-LA by THE KINKS

Shangri-La was released in 1969. It was one of the singles from the album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), which was initially conceived as the soundtrack to a sort of soap opera for Granada television and that was never produced.

The song is clearly ironical as it identifies spiritual concepts with material belongings. Ray Davies’  inspiration came during the visit of the Davies brothers to their sister in Australia. Her family had previously moved to Adelaide where they had been offered better working prospects and living conditions.

In fact, they lived in a semi-detached house in a designed or planned community whose description matches the setting of the song.

The name Shangri-LA was taken from the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton and describes an ideal imaginary place in the Far East. The expression was subsequently used to describe heaven on earth or a Utopian civilisation.

MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA

The first migrants who arrived in Australia were convicts “transported” from Britain at the end of the XVIII century.  Transportation was a common punishment for criminals and dissidents who were previously sent to other British colonies such as the USA territories before the declaration of the Independence.

In the beginning of the XX century the Immigration Restriction Act was passed by which priority was given to British and Irish migrants. This was called the “White Australia policy”.

You can find more information about migration to Australia along the history here:

http://www.migrationheritage.nsw.gov.au/belongings-home/about-belongings/australias-migration-history/index.html

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/origins/history.aspx?pid=17

HOUSING IN BRITAIN AND THE “BACK YARD LAVATORY”

Every country has its own housing idiosyncrasy and this is not an exception for the UK. Terraced houses are characteristic of Britain and they date back to the industrial revolution. Built as a way to offer a dwelling to the emerging working class in the industrialised cities, they consisted of rows of identical houses sharing supplies such as toilets or water, thus the reference to the “lavatories in the back yard”.

You can read about types of property characteristic of The UK here:

https://www.sellhousefast.uk/blog/7-types-property-exist-uk/

IS SHANGRI-LA A REAL PLACE?

Have you already found your paradise? Do you feel satisfied with the “comforts of the cage”?

Or would you like to migrate to Shangri-La?

Some people have found paradise on earth as you can see in these videos.

 

DISCUSSION:

Have you already found your paradise?

Describe you particular Shangri-La.