The album 'Animals' uses the allegory of animals to represent different archetypes within a capitalist society, particularly drawing inspiration from George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'.

Roger Waters, the primary lyricist for 'Animals', explicitly stated his debt to Orwell's 'Animal Farm' in interviews, affirming the album's allegorical framework. The core conceit is to map human societal roles onto animals: Dogs, Pigs, and Sheep. This framework allows for a poignant critique of social hierarchy, economic exploitation, and political power dynamics without being overtly didactic. The chosen animals — predator, oppressor, and victim — provide visceral symbols for the album's commentary on human behavior and class struggle in post-war industrial societies, particularly relevant to Britain's socio-political landscape in the late 1970s. The narrative structure, with 'Pigs on the Wing' acting as bookends, frames the central animal allegories, suggesting a broader human context of love and connection that attempts to counteract the bleakness of the animalistic struggle. This allegorical approach makes the critique timeless, allowing the album's themes to resonate across different eras and political climates, highlighting universal patterns of power and subservience.