BACKSTREETS^©

Outtake version #1

[spoken:] One, two, three, 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

Running in the dark well I found her where she fell
Just another wasted sister of the Heartbreak hotel
Slow dancing in the dark, it sounds through the cane
Hopeless as a highway, in the freezing rain
Rolling along the backstreets, flowing on the backstreets
Terry was cold, young and brave
Taking on the backstreets, saved

Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Whoah
In the...
Save yourself a new guitar string to get you around by
Blame it on the lies that killed us
On the truth that ran us down, blame it on me, baby
Or blame it on that town
Blame it on him and his fancy ways
I hated you when you went away

Laying here in the dark you're like an angel on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness
Living all the movies, 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
Hey it's gonna be alright, hey!
Hiding on the backstreets tonight

Whoah, oh, oh, oh
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 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
Hey!
Whoah, oh, on the
Oh, oh
Ha

Page last updated: 00 Xxx 2008

The above lyrics correspond to a take recorded -- as it is the case with all known studio recordings of the song -- in the May-July 1975 period at the Record Plant, New York City, NY. This unfinished version [see third verse] has alternate lyrics that considerably vary from those of the album's version. It can be found on several bootlegs, including War And Roses (E Street Records) and Running Out Of Innocence (The Godfather Records).

Satellite radio channel Sirius suddenly started playing a different mix of this take that features different guitar as part of its special "E Street Radio" 3-months program (01 Nov 2005 till 31 Jan 2006). Of course, this quickly resulted in an mp3 recording making the rounds.

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.