BACKSTREETS^©

Live 22 Aug 1976 version

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
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
With a love so hard and filled with defeat, hey
Running for our lives at night on them 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 when you let loose from everything
To go running on the backstreets, running, backstreets
You swore we'd live forever
Taking it on them backstreets together
Together

Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where dancers scraped the tears up off the street 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
But I hated him and I hated you when you went away
Went away
Ho, oh

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, that we'd go see
Trying to learn how to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be
When 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, hey!
On the backstreets until the end

Till the end
Just me and you baby
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
Well alright
We'll go hiding on the backstreets tonight
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, yeah
Whoah
Oh
Oh, oh, oh, you

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

The above lyrics are for the 22 Aug 1976 performance at the Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA. This is the last 1976 version of BACKSTREETS not to yet include the Sad Eyes interlude. Soundboard tape is available.

List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:

• Album's version (more details)

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