Art for Art's Sake

There was a tension in the band between Gouldman/Stewart and Godley/Creme. Godley and Creme thought the band was becoming too commercial and poppy. This appears to be gouldmans tongue in cheek and slightly self effacing riposte - based on a phrase his dad used a lot.

Don't need the unions Burying me [not 'strangling']

At the time this came out, there was quite a bit of controversy about modern art (well, isn't there always?) in particular the 'Bricks' exhibit at the Tate. I think this is a pretty cynical song that reflects many people's opinion at the time that the artists were basically fleecing the public and making off with ridiculous sums for no effort. In addition, at the same time top rate tax was 98% or something, so there were a lot of very high earners becoming tax exiles, so it's also partially about that.

When Warhol managed The Velvet Underground, he knew the impact of industry complexity in the pursuit of intellectual necessity (and the purity of Valerie Solanis, by implication). What basically unfurled amidst the times (and Plato's Forms), was nothing more than Existential Instantion (more or less)