BACKSTREETS

Live 28 Aug 1981 version



Oooh
Oooh
Whoo, oooh
Oooh
Haaaaaaaaaaa
Heeeeeeeeeeeeey
Heeeeeeeeeeeeey
Laa

One soft infested summer me and Terry became friends
Trying in vain to breathe the fire we was born in
Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house, getting wasted in the heat
And hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
With a love so hard and filled with defeat
Running for our lives at night out on those backstreets

Slow dancing in the dark on the beach at Stockton's Wing
Where desperate lovers park we sat with the last of the Duke Street Kings
Huddled in our cars waiting for the bells that ring
In the deep heart of the night that set us loose from everything
To go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
We swore we'd live forever
Just taking it on those backstreets together

Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where dancers scraped the tears up off the streets dressed down in rags
Running into the darkness, some hurt bad some really dying
At night sometimes it seemed you could hear that whole damn city crying
Blame it on the lies that killed us, on the truth that ran us down
Blame it all on me Terry, it don't matter to me now
When the breakdown hit at midnight there was nothing left to say
'Cept I hated him and I hated you when you went away
Whoah, whoah

Now laying here in the dark, you're like an angel on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Trying in vain to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be
But after all this time we find we're just like all the rest
Stranded in the park and forced to confess
To hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
We swore forever friends
On the backstreets until the end

Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
It's alright
We'll go hiding on the backstreets tonight
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
Hey!

Whoah, whoah, whoah, whoah whoah whoah


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 28 Aug 1981 performance of BACKSTREETS at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, CA, during The River Tour. This version of BACKSTREETS includes an extended intro but no "Sad Eyes" interlude.

Promotional ad for the August 1981 six-night stand at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Promotional ad for the August 1981 six-night stand at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Ticket stub for the 28 Aug 1981 show at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Ticket stub for the 28 Aug 1981 show at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Pass for the 28 Aug 1981 show at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Pass for the 28 Aug 1981 show at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed a series of six concerts in August 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. At first four concerts were announced (20, 21, 23, and 24 Aug 1981) and two more were later added (27 and 28 Aug 1981). The first of the six shows was a benefit concert in support of the Vietnam Veterans Of America, an organization founded by former U.S. Marine lieutenant and disabled Vietnam veteran Bobby Muller.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:

BACKSTREETS [Album version]
BACKSTREETS [Unofficial studio version 1]
BACKSTREETS [Unofficial studio version 2]
BACKSTREETS [Unofficial studio version 3]
BACKSTREETS [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 22 Aug 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 29 Sep 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 30 Sep 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 09 Oct 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 25 Oct 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 28 Oct 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 29 Oct 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 30 Oct 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 02 Nov 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 03 Nov 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 04 Nov 1976 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 13 Feb 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 22 Feb 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 06 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 13 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 19 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 22 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 23 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 24 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 31 Dec 1977 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 23 May 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 31 May 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 09 Jun 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 16 Jun 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 01 Jul 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 07 Jul 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 04 Aug 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 09 Aug 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 01 Sep 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 19 Sep 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 30 Sep 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 15 Dec 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 19 Dec 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 20 Dec 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 28 Dec 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 31 Dec 1978 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 01 Jan 1979 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 28 Aug 1981 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 20 Aug 1984 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 25 Aug 1984 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 13 Jun 1985 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 21 Jun 1985 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 17 Mar 1988 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 20 Mar 1988 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 23 Apr 1988 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 03 May 1988 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 31 Jan 1998 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 15 Mar 1999 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 01 Jul 2000 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 16 Sep 2003 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 22 Nov 2005 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 17 Oct 2007 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 22 Apr 2008 version]
BACKSTREETS [Live 21 Jul 2009 version]

Page last updated: 14 Apr 2012