BACKSTREETS^©

Live 30 Sep 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, say!
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 that 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
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
I hated him and I hated you when you went away
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 to learn how to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be
Well 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

Hmmm mmmm
Hey, baby
It's good to see you back again
And honey, you're still looking fine
It's been such a long time
But I remember you
Yeah, I remember you
Standing on the corner
Of Richmond Avenue
With your hair piled all up high
And that crazy look in your eye
For every boy that was passing you by
And I swore
Back then, I swore
That for you
I'd drive all night
Any time, anywhere
I'd drive all night
I'd drive all night
Just to buy you some shoes
And to taste your tender charms
To have you hold me in your arms
For just one kiss
Baby, for just one kiss
And a look from your sad eyes
You had such lonely sad eyes
You had such pretty sad eyes
And baby, they'd cry
Cry all night
Baby, they'd be crying
Crying all night
Baby, like the rains came tumbling down
Whoah, and the tears, they fall
Falling down
Whoah, ah
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la ah
And me, I was just your fool
I thought that somehow I could stop
Some of your crying
That maybe I could stop
Your crying
I could stop
Your crying
But I didn't know
That baby'd been lying
Baby, you were lying
Weren't you though
Baby'd been lying
You were so young
And you could tell such pretty lies
And you know I wanted so bad
I wanted to believe it so bad
I wanted to believe it so bad
I wanted to believe it so bad
I wanted to believe it so bad
And now you're back
So now you've come back
Well baby, I'm back too
And I've been out,
And I've seen some things
About me
And about you
And it's time we stopped
It's time we stopped
Little girl, we stopped
Little girl, we've got to stop
Little girl, you've got to stop
Little girl, we've got to stop
Little girl, you've got to stop
Little girl, we've got to stop
It's time
To stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop
Stop

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

Whoah

Whoah
Whoah, whoah, oh, oh, oh, oh

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

The above lyrics are for the 30 Sep 1978 performance at The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, during the Darkness On The Edge OF Town Tour. Regional live FM broadcast simulcast by about 20 radio stations throughout the southeastern USA. This was a make-up show that had originally been slated for 23 Jul 1978 but which had been postponed (along with three others) due to Bruce coming down with a throat infection.

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.