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 song "Dirty Alleys / Dirty Minds" by Zero Boys is a fast-paced punk rock anthem that discusses the dark side of life in the city. The lyrics describe the presence of marginalized individuals such as "bum men," "bag ladies," and "drifters sellin' bitches on the street" who frequent the dirty alleys of the city with their dirty minds, which poses a threat to the safety of children and vulnerable individuals, as stated in the line "Better run little boy, better hide little girl, this a big city, nothing's safe at last."
The song then delves into the idea of living on the edge, where people survive on caffeine and booze, indicating that they are barely making ends meet. The line "What's the matter with you, man? Why ain't you got a sun tan?" possibly alludes to the fact that the singer assumes the people in the city are poor and can't afford to go on vacation. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that the city is dangerous and only those who are street smart and savvy will survive. In the end, the singer suggests that those who are naive enough to venture into the city without any knowledge of its dark side should go back to sunny California.
Line by Line Meaning
Bum men
Homeless population living in poverty and poor living conditions.
Bag ladies
Homeless women struggling to survive on the streets.
Drifter sellin bitches on the street...
Prostitutes walking the streets making a living.
Dirty alleys dirty minds!
The streets are dangerous and corrupt.
Better run little boy
You better be careful if you want to survive.
Better hide little girl
There are dangerous people out there that want to hurt you.
This a big city
The urban areas are relentless and unforgiving.
Nothings safe at last
There is no guarantee of safety.
Livin on caffine livin on booze
People are just trying to get by using whatever they can.
Better run little boy
You better be careful if you want to survive.
Better hide little girl
There are dangerous people out there that want to hurt you.
This a big city
The urban areas are relentless and unforgiving.
Nothings safe at last
There is no guarantee of safety.
Whats the matter with you man?
Why are you not afraid of this harsh environment?
Why aint you got a sun tan?
Why are you not from a less dangerous place like California?
Livin on caffine livin on booze
People are just trying to get by using whatever they can.
Dirty alleys dirty minds
The streets are dangerous and corrupt.
Go back to sunny California
You might be safer there than in this dangerous city.
Yea well someone should have warned ya
You should have known better than to come to this place without caution.
Writer(s): Paul Mahern, Terry Howe, David Clough
Contributed by Adalyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.