BACKSTREETS^©

Live 07 Jul 1978 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
And 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 set us loose from everything
To go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
We swore we'd live forever
On the backstreets we'd take it 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
You can 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
Go!
Steve!

[guitar solo]

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
Then after all this time to 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

To the end
I remember you
Baby I remember you
Standing on the corner
Of Richmond Avenue
And I remember I'd
I remember back then I'd
I'd drive all night
I swore I'd drive all night
Just to buy you some shoes
And to taste
And to taste your tender charms
To have you hold me in your arms
To have you hold me in your arms
And for just one look
For just one look
From your sad eyes
You had such pretty sad eyes
You had such pretty sad eyes
I remember they cried all night
They cried all night
We let 'em cry 'til they're all cried out
They cried all night
Baby they cried all night
And I hated you
But only me and you knew
But baby only me and you knew
The way they could lie
The way they could lie
They could tell such pretty lies
They could tell such pretty lies
And now you're back
And now you're back
Well little girl, I'm back too
And I've been out, and I've seen some things
Yeah I've been out, and I've seen some things
I've been out, and I've seen some things
And baby I've learned a thing or two
About me and you
And all I wanna know is why
All I wanna know's why
All I wanna know's why
Why
Baby I wanna know why
Baby just
I want you, I want you
To look into my face
Just look into my face
Just look into my face
Look into my face
Look into my face
Look into my face
And tell me why
Why, I want to know why
You lied
You lied
You lied
And we'll go

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

Oh-ohhh-oh, ohhh-oh, oooh, oooh, oooh-oooh

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

The above lyrics are for the 07 Jul 1978 performance at The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour. The complete show was broadcast on KMET FM, and later became one of the main source concerts for the official Live/1975-85 box set which was released on 10 Nov 1986. This show was one of the main source concerts for the box set providing it with eight songs, including a heavily edited BACKSTREETS that had the Sad Eyes interlude completely removed.

The original recording's duration is 12:30 while the edited one is 7:30. Above, lyrics in italic are edited out on the official release, while lyrics in bold are added to the mix and are not part of the original recording.

This live 07 Jul 1978 version of BACKSTREETS would also appear on two official samplers:

• The Future Of Rock'n'Roll / 70's To 80's
  2-CD - Japan, 1988 - catalogue # CBS/SONY XADP 90009-10
  Impossibly rare Japan-only promotional release compiling an impressive 28 tracks from Bruce's first nine albums plus two 1988 live B-sides. This is the scarcest of all Springsteen promo CD's.

• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band PBS Exclusive
  CD - USA, 2005 - catalogue # COL 82876 75932 2
  US-only promotional sampler exclusively available to donors supporting the "Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)" programming with a $ 60 "pledge"; contains seven live tracks compiled off the Live/1975-85 box set, the Live In New York City album, and the Live In Barcelona DVD.

List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:

• Album's version (more details)

Info and scans for the official samplers are taken from the Lost In The Flood website. Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake from BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help and Mike who transcribed the Sad Eyes interlude in 2001.