BACKSTREETS^©

Live 15 Dec 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 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, on the truth that ran us down
Blame it all on me Terry, it don't matter to me now
When the breakdown came 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
And 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

Till the end
Hello, baby
It's good to see you back again
Honey, you're still looking fine
It's been such a long, long time
But baby, I remember you
Baby, I remember you
And I know you remember me too
And I know you remember
Hitchhiking outside of town on a summer night
I know you remember that stripped down Cadillac
The one you used to take me riding in back
Yeah, the one you used to take me riding in back
And I know you remember
Oh, going down and down and down, on the inside
Slipping down and down and down, to the inside
Slipping down and down and down, to the inside
Slipping down and away
And I know you remember, on the outside
You'd hear them crying in the street
And on the inside, slipping down and down and down
On the outside, the cop's on the corner
On the inside, slipping down and down and down
And I remember I swore, a long, long time ago,
I swore that, for you, I'd drive all night
Any time, any place
I'd drive all night
Just to buy you some shoes
Just to buy you a Christmas present
Just to check you out
Just to see how you were doing
Just to—just for one sweet kiss
Just for one
Just to hear you say that you love me
And I remember that you promised that you'd never leave without me
I remember, way back then, you promised you'd never leave without me
I remember, way back then, you promised
And like everything else from those days, you promised
And you lied
Didn't you?
You lied
Little girl, you lied
Little girl, you lied
And so now you've come back, and I want to know why
I want to know why
I want to know why
I want to know why
And I want to know just what makes you think
I mean, just what makes you think it's so easy?
I mean, just what makes you think
Just what makes you think it's so easy to
To stop
To stop
To stop
To stop
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
Hey!

Whoah, whoah, whoah, oh, whoah

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

The above lyrics are for the 15 Dec 1978 performance at Winterland, San Francisco, CA, during the Darkness On The Edge OF Town Tour. This show was broadcast live on the San Francisco radio station KSAN-FM, and soundboard tape is available.

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.