Songfacts®:

• The Chinatown in this song refers to the one in San Francisco, where Romeo Void formed. The song has a similar feel to the 1974 Jack Nicholson movie Chinatown, a noir that explores the seedy and dangerous part of the neighborhood. In the song, there are "risks to be taken" and "asses shakin'."
• The song is part of Romeo Void's second album, Benefactor, which also includes their popular song "Never Say Never." All five bandmembers are credited on the track, including their saxophone player, Benjamin Bossi, whose lively playing helped set the band apart.
• In a Songfacts interview, the band's bass player Frank Zincavage explained how this song came together. "I had this idea for a driving 8th note type of tune, probably influenced by my fondness for Joy Division," he said. "Everyone brought their particular approach and style."
  
  Zincavage adds that the revolving chords were the influence of a Brian Eno song called "The True Wheel."
• "Chinatown" wasn't a hit but it was one of the most popular songs at Romeo Void's live shows. They also made a video for the song with scenes of the city and a memorable ending where drummer Larry Carter breaks a pane of glass with his stick.
  
  The band landed a chart hit two years later with "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)," but they broke up soon after, having been dropped from their label, Columbia Records.