BACKSTREETS©
Album's 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
Running for our lives at night on them backstreets
Na, na na na
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 of everything
To go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
Terry you swore we'd live forever
Taking it on them backstreets together
Yeah
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, blame it 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
But I hated him and I hated you when you went away
Whoah, whoah
Whoah, 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
Well we swore forever friends, hey!
On the backstreets until the end
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 go hiding on the 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
Hiding on the backstreets
Whoah!
Hey!
Whoahhh!
Hey!
Hey, hey, hey
Yeah, yeah
Whoah, oh, oh
Whoo, ooh
Ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooooh
Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008
Intro
Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, BACKSTREETS was released on his 1975 album Born To Run.
In 1976, 1977, and 1978, the live performances of the song were extended with an interlude that
would later be used as the basis for part of DRIVE ALL NIGHT.
Composition, Recording, And Release
There are four studio recordings of BACKSTREETS in circulation:
All these 4 takes were recorded in the May-July 1975 period at the Record Plant, New York City,
NY. The lyrics variations between one version and another show that the song was still a work in
progress -- Bruce and the band had entered the studio in March 1975, and BACKSTREETS was
probably written during those sessions (March or April 1975).
The Born To Run album was commercially released on 01 Sep 1975. Note that a small
quantity of blank label, advanced promo copies (called "Script Covers") were issued to
VIPs about 12 Aug 1975, and normal promo copies were sent to radio stations on or about 24 Aug
1975.
|
Track credits:
Bruce Springsteen: guitar, vocals
Garry Tallent: bass guitar
Max Weinberg: drums
Roy Bittan: piano, organ
Written and arranged by Bruce Springsteen
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, and Mike Appel
Recorded and mixed at Record Plant Studio, New York City, NY
|
Live History
The Born To Run Tour kicked off on 20 Jul 1975 at the Palace Theater, Providence, RI,
(the live debut of Miami Steve as a member of the E Street Band) but the first known performance of
BACKSTREETS was on 08 Aug 1975 at Civic Theater, Akron, OH. The song was performed very frequently
during the tour:
- During the 1st leg of the Born To Run Tour (81 known dates: Jul-Dec 1975), BACKSTREETS
is confirmed to be played on 34 shows. Note that many setlists from this period are incomplete or
unknown, and therefore the song might have been performed on more dates.
- During the 2nd leg of the Born To Run Tour (35 known dates: Mar-May 1976, including the
10 Apr 1976 benefit concert at Choate School, Wallingford, CT), BACKSTREETS was confirmed to be
played on 19 shows. Note that many setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and
therefore the song might have been performed on more dates. The song must've been a stable number
during that 2nd leg.
Audio and video for the complete 18 Nov 1975 show at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, was released
in 2005 on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 CD and DVD. Check out the
live 18 Nov 1975 version for more details.
Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed,
there were problems between Springsteen and his manager at the time, Mike Appel. In July 1976, the
storm broke. Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau
(Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a
particular paragraph from their original agreement. Bruce replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager
Mike Appel and suing him in federal court for fraud and undue influence. Two days later, Appel sued
Springsteen back and won a preliminary injunction barring Springsteen from entering a recording
studio. Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of
not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and
it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. BACKSTREETS was played during every
night of that "Lawsuit Tour":
- During the 1st leg of the tour (29 known dates: Aug-Nov 1976), BACKSTREETS was confirmed to be
played on 27 shows. Note that some setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and
therefore the remaining 2 performances remain unconfirmed. The song must've been a stable number
during that 1st leg. It was in the second month of that 1st leg that the so-called "Sad Eyes Interlude" originated.
See the Sad Eyes Interlude section below for more details and
several live versions from this 1st leg. Check out also the
live 22 Aug 1976 version, which did not yet have any Sad Eyes interlude.
- During the 2nd leg of the tour (33 known dates: Feb-Mar 1977), BACKSTREETS was confirmed to be
played on 28 shows. Note that some setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and
therefore the remaining 5 performances remain unconfirmed. The song must've been a stable number
during that 2nd leg. See the Sad Eyes Interlude section below for
several live versions from this 2nd leg.
The last show of the "Lawsuit Tour" was on 25 Mar 1977 at the Music Hall, Boston, MA, but the
suit dragged until late-May 1977. During that time, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes were on
tour. On 3 gigs that were originally scheduled as regular Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
shows, Southside was ill and he couldn't perform. E Street Band member Steve Van Zandt came to the
rescue by organizing "The Asbury Park All-Star Revue", a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E
Street Band, Ronnie Spector, and Bruce Springsteen. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist with Bruce on
guitar/background vocals on most numbers, with the exception of a few tracks, including BACKSTREETS
which was performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on the first of these 3 gigs: 12
May 1977 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ.
On 28 May 1977, the Springsteen-Apple lawsuits reached a final settlement and finally
Springsteen was able to get into a studio and record. Recording sessions for the next album began
in early June 1977, but Springsteen kept making guest appearances at other artists' gigs, and
jamming with Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ. On 31 Dec 1977, Bruce Springsteen
& The E Street Band joined Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes onstage for a 4-songs set during
their show at the Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ, and then kicked into a set of their own that included
a rendition of BACKSTREETS. Bruce had forgotten much of the song, making up lyrics on the spot.
Check out the live 31 Dec 1977 version for more details.
The actual recording sessions for Darkness On The Edge Of Town were completed by early
January 1978, and the mixing sessions dragged until early April. Bruce and the band start preparing
for the upcoming tour, and the only known/confirmed pre-tour rehearsal was on 19 May 1978 at the
Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ. BACKSTREETS was one of the numbers performed during that
private rehearsal (audience tape available, but the only take of the song is cut on that tape).
The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour kicked-off on 23 May 1978 in Buffalo, and
BACKSTREETS was performed that night. It should be noted that a few setlists from this period are
incomplete or unknown, and the tour consisted of 111 known dates. The song is confirmed to be
played on 86 shows and not played on 9. The remaining 16 performances of the tour remain
unconfirmed. See the Sad Eyes Interlude section
below for several live versions from this tour.
The 07 Jul 1978 performance at The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, was officially released
on the Live 1975-85 box set in Nov 1986, with the Sad Eyes interlude edited out. Check out the
live 07 Jul 1978 version for
more details.
The River Tour opened on 03 Oct 1980 at the University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and
BACKSTREETS was played on that opening night. It was performed on almost half of the tour's
dates, making a total of 62 performances. Check out the live
28 Aug 1981 version.
The Born In The USA Tour opened on 29 Jun 1984 at Civic Arena, St. Paul, MN, and
BACKSTREETS was played on that opening night. It was performed a total of 30 times, most of them
during the first couple of months of the tour. See the Sad Eyes Interlude section
below for several live versions from this tour.
During the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour, BACKSTREETS was played a total of 19 times. Check
out the following versions:
BACKSTREETS was not performed during the Human Touch / Lucky Town Tour shows, but the
song was reported to be sound-checked twice during the course of the tour:
- 10 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, UK
- 31 Jul 1992 at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ (4 takes)
The song was also played off-tour on 21 Feb 1995 at the Tramps Nightclub, New York City, NY.
This was a reunion gig with the E Street Band intended for the video shooting of
MURDER INCORPORATED. Check out the
live 21 Feb 1995 version. The next performance was on 31 Jan
1998 at Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ, during the "Come Together: Jon Bon Jovi &
Friends" benefit concert. Check out the live 31 Jan 1998 version
for more details.
BACKSTREETS was also performed on 15 Mar 1999 in the main ballroom of Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New
York City, NY, during Springsteen's induction to the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame. Check out the
live 15 Mar 1999 version for more details.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band embarked on The Reunion Tour in April 1999, and
BACKSTREETS was frequently performed during that tour, making a total of 59 apparitions.
- The song was played during the tour's private rehearsals, on 11 Mar 1999 at the Convention
Hall, Asbury Park, NJ. 25 people were allowed into the hall to hear the band play. A security
guard stepped outside and told the fans gathered there, "I'm going to do you guys one hell
of a favor." Bruce welcomed his first audience - "You guys have been out in the cold
too long!" - and treated them to five songs.
- It was also played during both of the tour's public warm-up rehearsal shows: 18 and 19 Mar
1999 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ.
- The 01 Jul 2000 performance of the song was officially released in 2001 on the Live In New
York City DVD. Check out the live 01 Jul 2000 version
for more details.
![Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live In New York City [DVD]](backstreets_dvd-linyc_small.jpg)
BACKSTREETS was also played on one of the public rehearsal shows for The Rising Tour, on
02 Aug 2002 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ. On tour, it was played a total of 13 times out
of the 120 regular dates of the tour. Check out the live 16
Sep 2003 version.
The song appeared 3 times during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, played solo on
grand piano. Before that tour, it was never performed this way.
- 06 Aug 2005 at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
- 16 Nov 2005 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 22 Nov 2005 at Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ (check out the
live 22 Nov 2005 version)
Up to the time this page was last updated, BACKSTREETS had been played a total of 13 times during
the Magic Tour:
On 07 May 2008, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band played a concert at Count Basie Theatre,
Red Bank, NJ. This was an off-tour benefit show to aid of renovations for the venue. It was a
setlist with Bruce and the band running through the entire Darkness On The Edge Of Town and
Born To Run albums in order, in addition to four other songs from their repertoire.
Sad Eyed Interlude
On the Born To Run album, BACKSTREETS was already six-and-a-half minute long, but in
1976, 1977, and 1978, the live performances of the song were extended with an interlude that is
most know under title "Sad Eyes" -- a name probably give to it by bootleggers. Note that this has
nothing to do with SAD EYES, the 1990 outtake that was released in
November 1998 on the Tracks box set.
Sad Eyes is a mostly soft-piano based monologue toward the end of the song. It gradually rises
in tempo before it suddenly stops and the "Hiding on the backstreets" coda kicks back in
full band.
The Sad Eyes interlude debuted in Sep 1976 and disappeared with the end of the Darkness On The
Edge Of Tour. It evolved through those three
years to later be used as the basis for part of DRIVE ALL NIGHT
on The River album in 1980. The live 22 Aug 1976 version of BACKSTREETS is the last one known from that year not to yet
include the Sad Eyes interlude. Check the list of BACKSTREETS versions below to see how the Sad
Eyes interlude evolved through the period:
- 29 Sep 1976 - Civic Center, Santa Monica, CA
- 30 Sep 1976 - Civic Center, Santa Monica, CA
- 09 Oct 1976 - Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN
- 25 Oct 1976 - The Spectrum Arena, Philadelphia, PA
- 28 Oct 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 29 Oct 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 30 Oct 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 02 Nov 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 03 Nov 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 04 Nov 1976 - Palladium, New York City, NY
- 13 Feb 1977 - Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
- 22 Feb 1977 - Arena Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI
- 04 Mar 1977 - The Auditorium, Jacksonville, FL
- 13 Mar 1977 - Towson State University, Baltimore, MD
- 19 Mar 1977 - Central Maine Youth Center, Lewiston, ME
- 22 Mar 1977 - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 23 Mar 1977 - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 24 Mar 1977 - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 25 Mar 1977 - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 31 Dec 1977 - Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ
- 23 May 1978 - Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
- 31 May 1978 - Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 09 Jun 1978 - The Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, WI
- 16 Jun 1978 - Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO
- 07 Jul 1978 - The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA
- 04 Aug 1978 - Civic Centre, Charleston, WV
- 09 Aug 1978 - The Agora, Cleveland, OH
- 19 Sep 1978 - Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ
- 30 Sep 1978 - The Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 15 Dec 1978 - Winterland, San Francisco, CA
- 19 Dec 1978 - Paramount Theater, Portland, OR
- 20 Dec 1978 - Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
- 31 Dec 1978 - Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH
- 01 Jan 1979 - Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH
Official Releases
BACKSTREETS was a B-side for BORN TO RUN in 1975 in Japan only:
"BORN TO RUN / BACKSTREETS"
7" promo single - Japan, Sep 1975 - catalogue # CBS/SONY SOPB 334
White label promotional issue with picture/lyric insert with misprinted title of "Back Streets"
"BORN TO RUN / BACKSTREETS"
7" single - Japan, Sep 1975 - catalogue # CBS/SONY SOPB 334
Commercial issue with orange labels and picture/lyric insert with misprinted title of "Back Streets"
|
The song appeared on Bruce Springsteen: Rocks Vol. 1 (1973 - 1982), a Sony Japan-only
promotional "Digest" CDR advance sampler tying in with the release of the first six Japanese 2005
"mini-LP"-style Springsteen CD album reissues (Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ through
Nebraska). Plain slimline jewel case with no artwork, no catalogue number.
A segment of BACKSTREETS was included on The Pitman Family Of Music: Our First 20 Years,
a various artists promotional 2-LP set with catalogue number CBS P 15663. This 1980 US-only release
was pressed in limited quantities of 200 copies and given out exclusively to employees of
Columbia's Pitman, New Jersey pressing plant. The excerpt from Bruce's track runs for just about 20
seconds. Colour picture sleeve including a 16-page booklet; picture labels on disc.
![Various artists -- The Pitman Family Of Music: Our First 20 Years [front]](backstreets_comp-pitmanlp-front.jpg)
![Various artists -- The Pitman Family Of Music: Our First 20 Years [rear]](backstreets_comp-pitmanlp-rear.jpg)
![Various artists -- The Pitman Family Of Music: Our First 20 Years [label]](backstreets_comp-pitmanlp-label.jpg)
10 years later, a segment of BACKSTREETS was included on 30 Year In Pitman, a various
artists promotional CD with no catalogue number. This very rare 1990 US-only sampler was given out
exclusively to employees of Columbia's Pitman, New Jersey pressing plant in celebration of its 30th
anniversary. The excerpts from Bruce's tracks run for just about 30 seconds each (BACKSTREETS and
BORN IN THE USA). CD comes in a jewel case with no front insert.
Back picture insert features a photo of the plant and small logos of all sub-labels ever
distributed by CBS Records.
![Various artists -- 30 Year In Pitman [back]](backstreets_comp-pitmancd-back.jpg)
![Various artists -- 30 Year In Pitman [disc]](backstreets_comp-pitmancd-disc.jpg)
Cover Versions
Backstreets Magazine
Backstreets Magazine, a quarterly Bruce Springsteen fanzine, has been covering the music
of Bruce Springsteen and Jersey Shore artists since 1980. The print began in 1980 when
Seattle-based Springsteen fan Charles R. Cross printed 10,000 copies of a 4-page tabloid he called
"Backstreets". He passed it out for free at Bruce's 24 Oct 1980 show at the Seattle
Coliseum, Seattle, WA. Most copies of this first issue wound up trampled under foot, soaking in
puddles by the end of the night; original copies of this three-color premiere issue now sell for
three figures.
Backstreets became an uninterrupted run of quarterly publishing and is a Music Journalism
Award winner for Best Fanzine. From its 4-page debut, Backstreets grew slowly, but after
nine issues on newsprint, it switched to the magazine format with issue #10, adding slick paper and
full-color covers soon after.
Current Publisher and Editor Christopher Phillips moved to Seattle in 1993 and began working with
Charles R. Cross at Backstreets on issue #44, became Managing Editor in 1994, developed the
Backstreets website in 1995, and took the
reins in 1998. After a couple more years in Seattle, Phillips moved Backstreets to the East
coast in 2000, with the magazine and website headquarters now based in Chapel Hill, NC.
Available Versions
List of available versions of BACKSTREETS on this website:
Credits / References
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake from BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
Some of the above info about the studio recording and the live performances are taken from
Brucebase. Info and scans for the some
of the above Bruce Springsteen official releases are taken from the
Lost In The Flood website.
Request
An aborted outtake (duration 3:12) of BACKSTREETS is in circulation. If you have it, please
send it to me. I also need the live 26 Sep 1976 performance of the song for it might be the first
even BACKSTREETS with Sad Eyes Interlude.
A higher resolution scan of Backstreets Magazine original issue #1 is also needed.
Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the
below form or by email: .
You will be credited. Thanks in advance.
|
