Live 15 Mar 1999 version
Hit it more than once!
One soft infested summer me and Terry became friends
Trying in vain to breathe the fire we were born in
Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house, getting wasted in this heat
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 met 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
Taking it on those backstreets together
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where dancers scrape 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
Say yeah
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
'Til the end
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreet
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
Running on the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
On the backstreets, on the backstreets
Say it!
Whoah, whoah, whoah, oh, ooh
The above lyrics are for the live 15 Mar 1999 performance of BACKSTREETS at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, NY, during the 14th annual Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.
Billy Joel, Curtis Mayfield, Paul McCartney, Del Shannon, Dusty Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, and The Staple Singers were the inducted performers into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999. George Martin was inducted in the Non-Performer category, and Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys and Charles Brown were inducted in the Early Influence category.
Bruce Springsteen performed a four-song set backed by the reunited E Street Band and returned to the stage at the end of the ceremony joining in an all-star jam session with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Bono, Bonnie aitt, and others. This group is credited as "The Rock Hall Jam Band" on official releases. An edited version of the ceremony aired on VH1 on 17 Mar 1999.
The live 15 Mar 1999 version of BACKSTREETS appears on two official releases.
This is part of a nine-volume series that was later repackaged into a 9-DVD box set. This volume includes 3 tracks on which Bruce Springsteen appears:
This is a download-only digital release, part of a ten-volume series. This volume includes 5 tracks on which Bruce Springsteen appears:
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:
BACKSTREETS [Album version]