Their first release, Livin' in the '80s, was a 7" EP released by the band on their home-brew Z-Disc label. Their debut full length album, Vicious Circle, was released in 1982 with its distinctively ugly bright yellow cover on the local label Nimrod Records. Many punk fans nationwide were surprised to find a band like the Zero Boys coming out of the Midwest rather than from the larger and more established scenes in and around Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York City and elsewhere. Vicious Circle was reissued on Toxic Shock later in the 1980s, with added bonus tracks taken from the Affirmation Records compilations LPs The Master Tape and The Master Tapes 2. It was reissued again in 2000 by Lookout! Records, without the Master Tape tracks, but with two additional songs from the original album sessions, "She Said Goodbye" and "Slam and Worm", which had been given limited release on a 7" single.
It has occasionally been reported that the band never recorded further material after this. This is true only in the sense that the lineup of the band that made Vicious Circle never recorded new material. After David Clough left the band to join Toxic Reasons, the Zero Boys did manage to record a handful of tracks intended for a second LP, but broke up before the album could be finished. These tracks were released on the History of the Zero Boys cassette on Affirmation, along with the above mentioned compilation tracks and other demo tracks and outtakes.
Around 1990, Selfless released a 7" single featuring the Zero Boys on one side and Toxic Reasons on the other. The Zero Boys then reformed with a new bass player and guitarist and recorded two further albums, Make It Stop (released on Germany's Bitzcore label in 1992) and The Heimlich Maneuver (released on Skyclad in 1993.)
In the last couple of years, the band has reunited for the occasional show, such as one of a series of shows at CBGB's designed to raise money to help keep the club open, and a series of shows in the spring and summer of 2006 where they performed the entire Vicious Circle album.
Paul Mahern went on to form the power pop band the Datura Seeds and has since become a producer. He also owns the Affirmation Records label.
Tufty owns a punk clothing store in Indianapolis called future Shock as well as a progressive music bar named Radio Radio.
Dirty Alleys/Dirty Minds
Zero Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bag ladies
Drifter sellin bitches on the street...
Dirty alleys dirty minds!
Better run little boy
Better hide little girl
This a big city
Livin on caffine livin on booze
Dirty alleys dirty minds!
Better run little boy
Better hide little girl
This a big city
Nothings safe at last
Whats the matter with you man?
Why aint you got a sun tan?
Livin on caffine livin on booze
Dirty alleys dirty minds!
Livin on caffine livin on booze
Dirty alleys dirty minds
Better run little boy
Better hide little girl
This a big city
Nothings safe at last
Whats the matter with you man?
Why aint you got a sun tan?
Go back to sunny California
Yea well someone should have warned ya
The lyrics to Zero Boys's song Dirty Alleys/Dirty Minds depict the gritty reality of life in a big city where danger and debauchery lurk around every corner. The references to "bum men," "bag ladies," and "drifters sellin bitches on the street" paint a picture of a seedy underworld where even the most vulnerable members of society are forced to fend for themselves. The repeated refrain of "dirty alleys dirty minds" serves as a warning to the listener to be on their guard.
The second half of the song addresses the listener directly, urging them to "better run little boy" and "better hide little girl." The line "livin on caffeine livin on booze" speaks to the desperation of those who are trapped in this cycle of addiction and poverty. The reference to "sun tan" and "sunny California" suggest that the song is set in a city on the east coast, where the contrast between the grim reality of urban life and the glamour of Hollywood is particularly stark.
Overall, Dirty Alleys/Dirty Minds is a powerful indictment of the harsh realities of urban life, and a reminder of the need to be vigilant in the face of danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Bum men
Homeless men
Bag ladies
Homeless women carrying their possessions in bags
Drifter sellin bitches on the street...
Unstable people selling sex in the open
Dirty alleys dirty minds!
The filth of the city is not just in the alleys but in people's minds too
Better run little boy
Young boys need to be careful in this big city
Better hide little girl
Young girls need to protect themselves in this big city
This a big city
The city is vast and dangerous
Nothings safe at last
Nothing is truly safe here
Livin on caffine livin on booze
Surviving on coffee and alcohol
Whats the matter with you man?
What is wrong with you?
Why aint you got a sun tan?
Why aren't you tanned from the sun?
Go back to sunny California
You should have stayed in California where it's safer
Yea well someone should have warned ya
Someone should have advised you to be careful in this city
Contributed by Alyssa J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.