The original idea for the song was that after each verse Russell Mael would sing a movie dialogue cliché, one of which was "This town ain't big enough for both of us", used in the 1932 film The Western Code.

[6] However, in his Sparks biography Talent Is an Asset, Daryl Easlea reports that this was a "great tale" propagated by the Mael brothers but contradicted by Winwood himself.

Winwood said that he was unsure of how commercial the track would be, so he played it to John, who told him, "Listen, I'll bet you a hundred quid that that makes the Top 3".

Songwriter Ron Mael has explained: "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" was written in A, and by God it'll be sung in A. I just feel that if you're coming up with most of the music, then you have an idea where it's going to go.

Russell Mael has claimed in reply: When he wrote "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", Ron could only play it in that key.

[8] The Guardian said the song "was like a three-minute warning that Sparks were a band different from any other: octave-leaping vocals, gunshots, incomprehensible lyrics and an unrelenting sense of drama.

The original track is mimed by two of the characters, Dr. "Mac" Macartney and Dr Alan Statham, who pretend to be Russell and Ron Mael respectively.