Ghostown is something of a concept album, documenting the sense of social and cultural isolation felt by many Dubliners throughout the 1970s, sometimes noted as literary and "difficult",[2] especially for a snappy record from a punk band.

[4] The ambition and literacy of Ghostown may have, however, impacted on its popularity on the charts (although "Million Dollar Hero" was a "near hit"[2]) and when performed live,[4] effects amplified by its release having been delayed by about a year into 1979.

Thus, the entry for Philip Chevron on The Pogues website ruefully notes that despite Ghostown's positive critical reception, "unfortunately the reviews were too late, and shortly after the release the group broke up".

[7] The shortened version of the name seems to represent the fact that founding member Steve Rapid had left the band after TV Tube Heart so that The Radiators were now a four-piece, with Chevron taking responsibility for lead vocals on Ghostown.

[5] The band had also moved to London, partly because they suffered fall-out following the death of an audience member at a punk festival they had organised in Dublin,[5] so the different name for this record might represent an attempt to escape that memory.