Unofficial studio version 2
[Spoken:] ..., four
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
Well we swore forever friends
On the backstreets until the end
Now, alright
In the basement at St. Johns well I found her where she fell
Just another busted sister of the Heartbreak hotel
Slow dancing in the dark on the beach at Stockton's Wing
In the deep heart of the night when you let loose of everything
We'd go running on the backstreets, whoah, running on the backstreets
We loved so hard and filled with defeat
Running for our lives on the backstreets
Whoah
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Watching the heroes in the funhouse ripping off the fags
The teenage ice exploded in crazy sets of fights
Running off down the boardwalk, turning in the night
Blame it on the lies that killed us
On the truth that ran us down, Terry you can blame it all on me
Blame, blame it on that town
But I hated him and his fancy ways
And I hated you when you went away
Whoa no, whoa no
Whoah, oh!
Ha! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Huh! Ha! He-ey! Alright! Alright!
I'm 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, 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, hey, hiding on the backstreets
Call it blood, cold young skins, huh
Spitting out them backstreet scenes
Huh, uh uh uh
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, to be hiding on them backstreets tonight
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
Whoah
Hey
Whoah
Whoah, oh oh hey
Whoah
Whoah, oh oh
Whoah, oh oh
Uh, uh uh
Huh, uh
The above lyrics are for a studio take of BACKSTREETS recorded sometime between May and July 1975 at The Record Plant in New York City, NY. See the album version for more details about the studio sessions.
This version features strings and has lyrics that vary from those of the album version. It can be found on several bootlegs, including Deep Down In The Vaults (E. St. Records) and The Genuine Tracks (Scorpio).
A different mix (that does not include strings) of this same take of BACKSTREETS is in limited circulation among some collectors.
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]