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Chinatown Lyrics

Living and dying
In Chinatown
Yes they're living and dying down in old Chinatown
In Chinatown
You better look around
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown

Laughing and crying you know it's a fact
They're not laughing they are crying
`Cause they won't be back
Oh no you don't come back
Not from Chinatown
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown

Chinatown, it's a different scene
There are people there, they are so obscene
If you see what I mean
Then they've sold you the dream
Down in Chinatown
What goes up it must come down

Living and dying
There is no release
Living and dying
There is no relief
There is no beliefs
Not in Chinatown
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown
Man, you don't stand a chance if you go down in Chinatown
4 Meanings

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Cover art for Chinatown lyrics by Thin Lizzy

this song rocks.i just love the crunchy tone off the guitar at the start of the song.This is a serious rock song for any party-just gets people rockin!

Cover art for Chinatown lyrics by Thin Lizzy

The lyrics are a nod to Roman Polanski's 1974 film Chinatown. The film is set in 30's LA, and Chinatown symbolises illegibility, lawlessness, incomprehensible underground dealings where morality as we know it becomes irrelevant: "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown"

Negative
Subjective
Admiration
Film Reference
Mystery
Morality
Symbolism
Cover art for Chinatown lyrics by Thin Lizzy

I think it's about Lynots addiction to Heroin and quite posssibly gambling. Heroin is often called "China".

Cover art for Chinatown lyrics by Thin Lizzy

This is a seriously good rock song. It's hard to say why it stands above the rest (maybe the riff or the way he sings "Chinatown" or that solo) and maybe it doesn't, but I find myself coming back to this one more than any other TL song.

 
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