In Ray Davies' satirical style, the lyrics juxtapose the grim realities of life in Britain during the 19th century (""Sex was bad, called obscene/And the rich were so mean"") with the paternalist aspirations of the British Empire in the Victorian age (""From the West to the East/From the rich to the poor/Victoria loved them all""), and expresses the simple adulation of queen and country by the downtrodden working class (""Though I am poor, I am free/When I grow I shall fight/For this land I shall die"").