“Dirty Back Road” by The B-52’s

“Dirty Back Road” is a song which uses metaphorical references to point to the vocalist’s sexual desire for the addressee, and not in a way in which said sentiments are cleverly or poetically concealed. And perhaps it can be said that she’s literally looking forward to the two of them going at it in an automobile “on dirty back roads”. 

But more to the point, once again, is the vocalist expressing wanton need and more specifically against the backdrop of already knowing, from experience, that the addressee has the wherewithal to sexually satisfy her. As such, logic would dictate the title is also more metaphorical than literal, i.e. the term “dirty” being one which is commonly used to refer to uninhibited bonking.

So most simply put this is sex song, and a pretty shameless one at that. It may not possess any terminology that is actually classified as being adult. Yet and still, it can be deemed NSFW in the bluntness in which the aforenoted ideas are expressed.

The B-52’s

The B-52’s are a long-standing new wave act from the state of Georgia and more specifically a city found therein called Athens. They experienced really-notable success prior to the 1990s, with songs such as “Dirty Back Road”.  

Release Date of “Dirty Back Road”

“Dirty Back Road” was officially featured on the band’s second LP, “Wild Planet”, a project that Warner Bros made public on 27 August 1980. 

This song was not issued as a single from “Wild Planet”. The album in question, which made it onto the top 20 of the Billboard 200 (as well as UK Albums Chart) and achieved RIAA-gold status shortly after its release, birthed the following singles:

• “Private Idaho”
• “Give Me Back My Man”
• “Party Out of Bounds”

Song Credits

At the time “Dirty Back Road” was dropped, The B-52’s consisted of co-vocalists Cindy Wilson, Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider, as well as guitarist Ricky Wilson and drummer Keith Strickland.       

Interestingly all of them, with the exception of Ricky, who passed away in 1985, are still members of the band as of this writing, well over 40 years later.

It is in fact Ricky Wilson who co-wrote this piece with one Robert Waldrop. And the entire B-52’s crew produced the track in conjunction with Rhett Davies.