Loosely based on George Orwell's political fable Animal Farm, the album's lyrics describe various classes in society as different kinds of animals: the combative dogs, the despotic ruthless pigs, and the "mindless and unquestioning herd" of sheep. Whereas the novella focuses on Stalinism, the album is a critique of capitalism and differs again in that the sheep eventually rise up to overpower the dogs. The album was developed from a collection of unrelated songs into a concept which, in the words of author Glenn Povey, "described the apparent social and moral decay of society, likening the human condition to that of mere animals".
Apart from its critique of society, the album is also a part-response to the punk rock movement, which grew in popularity as a nihilistic statement against the prevailing social and political conditions, and also a reaction to the general complacency and nostalgia that appeared to surround rock music.
Pigs (Three Different Ones):
The pigs represent people, like Whitehouse, who feel they are the moral authorities
Dogs:
Dogs are people who are against the pigs and are back stabbers
Sheep:
The sheep are the people who obey the pigs and believe that it is the "Christian" thing to do and are just your normal, hard working innocent bystanders
