Had the iPod Shuffle while out for a run an hour ago. Up came Backstreets from the Cleveland Agora show in August 1978. That's the Summertime Bruce show that opens with Summertime Blues. That version of Backstreets is just stunning with the Sad Eyes interlude (lyrics below). God do I love all those '78 bootlegs, with the great extended versions of Prove it All Night, She's the One and the "Peace, love, justice and no mercy" intro to Thunder Road. Where's the Rev or BTB? They'll back me up on this. If anyone wants some mp3's or entire shows, just send me a PM and I'll hook you up. Anyway, here's the version of Backstreets...
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 them 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 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
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
I hate 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 ee 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
Hello, baby
My, it's good to have
It's good to have you back again
And you're still looking fine
And honey, I remember you
Baby, I remember you
Standing on the corner of Richmond Avenue
With your hair up high
And that cradle look in your eye
That every boy that was passing you by
Baby's looking fine
Baby's looking fine
And I swore, back then I swore
That I would drive all night
Any time any place
I'd drive all night
Any time any place
I'd drive all night
Any time any place
Just to buy you some shoes
And to taste your tender charms
To have you hold me in your arms
Baby, for just one kiss
And a look from your sad eyes
You had such lonely sad eyes
You had such lonely sad eyes
I remember how they cried
All night long
Baby how they cried
All night long
I remember how they cried
All night long
I remember how they cried
Oh, they cried
And me, I was your fool
I thought somehow that I could stop
All of your crying
I thought I could stop
Little girl, your crying
I thought I could stop
Little girl, your crying
I thought I could stop
Little girl, your crying
But I didn't know
Only you knew
That baby'd been lying
Baby'd been lying
Little girl, you'd been lying
You were so young
And you could tell such pretty lies
You were so young
And you could tell such pretty lies
But I can't cry for you anymore
Little girl, I can't cry for you anymore
I can't cry for you anymore
And now you're back
And now you're back
Well baby, I'm back too
And I've been out
And I've been seeing some things
About me
About you
And little girl, you've got to stop
Baby, you've got to stop
Whoah, we've got to stop
Little girl, we've got to stop
Baby, you've got to stop
Little girl, we've got to stop
Baby, we've got to stop
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