Although Walker was unhappy with many of the songs from the Twentieth Century album, he later said he was particularly pleased with the production on "Saturday Night", which he was mostly responsible for.

The deep longing of the man walking his way around the city on the busiest night of the week is matched by his loneliness.

[9] The art work for the single was done by Chilean artist Eduardo Guelfenbein, who had also done the artwork for the album and a number of videos for the band.

A video clip for the track, directed by Richard Lowenstein,[11] was filmed in Kings Cross in February 1984, three months after the group disbanded.

Part of the clip features Moss and Barnes mingling with the participants of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Other sections of the clip showing the band members (minus Barnes) moving through the crowd of the Darlinghurst Road red light district.

[16] Marc Hunter, Paul Hewson and Robert Taylor reviewed the single for RAM, saying, "This shows why Chisel are a top band — they're prepared to take chances.

Ian Moss sings superbly; the band plays with restraint but perfect taste... Has to be a hit.

"[17] The Sydney Morning Herald called the song a "pleasant ballad" but noted "hard-core fans may take to the b-side, "Painted Doll", more readily".

The music fades in slowly over the sound of voices and traffic, with an arrangement that borrows from soul (Marvin Gaye comes to mind), but isn’t quite that.

Moss, the more melodious of Cold Chisel’s vocalists, takes the lead, with Barnes chipping in for an explosive interlude.