"Backstreets" begins with a minute-long instrumental introduction that features pianist Roy Bittan and organist Danny Federici, with only occasional traces of any other instruments being heard. In his review of Born to Run for Rolling Stone, writer Greil Marcus said:
"Backstreets" ... begins with music so stately, so heartbreaking, that it might be the prelude to a rock & roll version of The Iliad.
The song deals with the relationship between two friends: the narrator and Terry. They are forced to hide their love for each other from others and "hide on the backstreets". In the end, the relationship falls apart. Terry leaves with another man leaving the narrator alone and full of rage, love and sadness.
The gender of the character of "Terry" has long been debated among Springsteen fans. The name Terry can refer to either a male or a female. Proponents of the theory that Terry is male point out that the characters may be "hiding on the backstreets" in order to conceal their homosexuality. Or the song may merely be describing an intense male friendship with no other overtones. Those who believe that Terry is female cite Springsteen's own sexuality as well as the extended "Sad Eyes" performances of the song in which Terry is referred to as female by Springsteen himself.
During the 1978 Darkness Tour, Springsteen would often add a semi-improvised interlude in between the final chorus and the outro. It usually involved Springsteen singing solo accompanied by the piano. The other instruments would then join in as the interlude built to a climax. It elaborated on the story of the protagonist and Terry. It differed from performance to performance but frequently involved the protagonist reminiscing about a good time he and Terry had shared, followed by an emotional condemnation of her subsequent betrayal.
This interlude has become known to Springsteen fans as the "Sad Eyes" interlude (not to be confused with the Springsteen song of the same name) due to frequently occurring lyrics stating that Terry had sad eyes or should dry her tears. It has also been referred to as the "Baby I remember you" or "Little girl don't cry" interlude. Parts of the interlude later materialized in recast form as the song "Drive All Night" on The River album in 1980. The interlude version of "Backstreets" has not been performed live since, however it can be heard on numerous fan bootlegs from that tour.
In 2007, during Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic Tour, "Backstreets" frequently found its way into the set list, most likely as a tribute to Springsteen's longtime friend, Terry Magovern, who died earlier that year. It also opened the first show in 2008 following the death of longtime band member Danny Federici.
Backstreets
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 they set us 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
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where famous 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 the 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 to say
But I hated him, and 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
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Trying to learn 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
Where we swore forever friends
On the backstreets until the end
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
Was all right, we're all
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
Hiding on the backstreets
The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's Backstreets tell the story of two friends, the singer and Terry, and their experiences growing up and hanging out together. The song starts off by describing a summer where they were trying to "breathe the fire we was born in" and hanging out on the outskirts of town, sleeping in an abandoned beach house and getting wasted. They describe themselves as "hiding on the backstreets" with a love that is "hard and filled with defeat," running for their lives at night on these backstreets.
The second verse recalls a night the two spent together slow dancing in the dark on the beach, huddled with other desperate lovers waiting for something to happen. They run out into the city, "some really dying," where "it seemed you could hear the whole damn city crying." The song takes a darker turn when the singer admits to hating Terry when he leaves, and reflects on their shared history of trying to be heroes and live forever.
The overall theme of the song is one of nostalgia for a youth that is now gone, and the realization that no one is invincible, that things fall apart and times change. The singer and Terry were once inseparable, but now they are two lost souls hiding on the backstreets.
Line by Line Meaning
One soft infested summer, me and Terry became friends
During a hot, humid summer, Terry and I formed a close bond
Trying in vain to breathe the fire we was born in
Attempting to make something of ourselves in the intense atmosphere we grew up in
Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth
Hitchhiking to remote areas, relying on our unwavering beliefs to keep us going
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house, getting wasted in the heat
Passing out in an unused seaside home, getting drunk to beat the heat
And hiding on the backstreets
Avoiding the main roads and concealing ourselves in alleyways
With a love so hard and filled with defeat
A love that was intense but always seemed to end in failure
Running for our lives at night on them backstreets
Fleeing for our safety in the darkness of the back alleys
Slow dancing in the dark on the beach at Stockton's Wing
Dancing close in the dim light on the shore at Stockton's Wing
Where desperate lovers park, we sat with the last of the Duke Street Kings
Sitting with the last remaining members of the King's Court - a group of young lovers who occupied the area
Huddled in our cars, waiting for the bells that ring
Cold and cramped in our vehicles, anticipating the noise that marks the start of something important
In the deep heart of the night they set us loose of everything
The middle of the night when everything is free and rules don't apply
To go running on the backstreets
To run freely and joyously through the back alleys
Terry, you swore we'd live forever
You promised me we would always be together
Taking it on them backstreets together
Navigating the back roads side by side
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
A continuous string of seedy bars and drag strips inspired by actor Rudolph Valentino
Where famous dancers scraped the tears up off the street, dressed down in rags
Where successful dancers would pick themselves up from their failures, dressed in tattered clothes
Running into the darkness, some hurt bad, some really dying
Fleeing into the darkness, some with physical injuries, some on the brink of death
At night sometimes it seemed you could hear the whole damn city crying
At times it felt as though the entire city was weeping in unison
Blame it on the lies that killed us, blame it on the truth that ran us down
Culminating misfortunes that range from dishonesty to veracity that broke and defeated us
You can blame it all on me, Terry, it don't matter to me now
You can pin all of the responsibility on me, but it doesn't affect me anymore
When the breakdown hit at midnight, there was nothing to say
When we lost our composure in the middle of the night, there were no words
But I hated him, and I hated you when you went away
I held contempt for him and loathed you when you left
Laying here in the dark, you're like an angel on my chest
Lying in the darkness with you, I feel an angelic presence on my chest
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness
Just two people trying to get by in the world, hearts full of despair and lost hope
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see
Recalling all of the movies we used to watch together, Terry
Trying to learn to walk like the heroes we thought we had to be
Attempting to strut like the heroes we aspired to be
And after all this time, to find we're just like all the rest
Despite everything we've been through, we've realized we're just average people
Stranded in the park and forced to confess
Stuck in the park and compelled to admit the truth
To hiding on the backstreets
Admitting to concealing ourselves in the dark alleys
Where we swore forever friends
Where we vowed to remain lifelong friends
On the backstreets until the end
Traveling through the back roads until the end of our lives
Was all right, we're all
It didn't matter, because we are all the same
Hiding on the backstreets tonight
Concealing ourselves in the alleyways tonight
Hiding on the backstreets
Hiding in the back streets for dear life
Hiding on the backstreets
Taking cover on the quiet back alleys
Hiding on the backstreets
Concealing ourselves once again
Hiding on the backstreets
Concealed in the back streets
Hiding on the backstreets
Hiding in the alley
Hiding on the backstreets
Hiding in the shadows
Hiding on the backstreets
Finding safety in the back alleys
Hiding on the backstreets
Staying out of sight in the dark back roads
Hiding on the backstreets
Sneaking around in the alleyways, trying to avoid being seen
Hiding on the backstreets
Finding safety in the quiet, deserted lanes
Hiding on the backstreets
Concealed in the narrow, winding roads
Hiding on the backstreets
Keeping low on the secluded streets
Hiding on the backstreets
Sneaking around the dark alleyways for refuge
Hiding on the backstreets
Finding sanctuary on the deserted back roads
Hiding on the backstreets
Taking shelter in the hidden, empty lanes
Hiding on the backstreets
Staying concealed in the back alleys
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samuelb.eastman9903
Kerry Blankenship, Please note that these words seem to need a place here as they are so very moving. And, I do of course tend to very much agree with others that this song truly is quite one of a kind and something else!
‘BACKSTREETS’ - by Bruce Springsteen - 1975
One soft infested summer
Me and Terry became friends
Trying in vain to breathe
The fire we 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
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
We let lose 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
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag
Where famous 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 the 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
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 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
Where we swore forever friends
On the backstreets until the end
Hiding on the backstreets
Hiding on the backstreets...
@samuelb.eastman9903
Beta Earth One, And, if I should finally prove a lucky man then I do sincerely hope to be able to listen to this particular version of the song ‘Backstreets’ during the closing moments of my own life because I have always known it to be able to transport me at long ways towards what I have always imagined to be heaven.
On hundreds and hundreds of previous occasions ‘Backstreets’ has proven to be one of my very most reliable means of possibly escaping the usual trials and restraints of the everyday world. Indeed, this song has nearly always seemed to me as if it were something very much akin to holy music.
Certainly, EVERYTHING about my own life seems to have been forever changed ever since I first heard a cassette-tape recording of this song cranked up full blast on a set of stereo headphones at an island park called Belle Isle, in the Detroit River, back in the spring of 1984. And, of course by then both the 1953 vintage me and that 1975 vintage tune had already been kicking around for a number of years. Yet, I had somehow never really heard or understood this song’s true meaning or force until I had also had occasion to listen to it outdoors.
From that experience I have come to feel that one does indeed need to be in some wide open expanse and beholding something beautiful in front of them, say like the sun-light speckled surface of a meandering river, or a wave tossed ocean, or the flight of some high flying birds, or a great canopy of twinkling surrounding stars, so as to really appreciate what this song can often do in respect to causing one’s own spirit to seemingly soar in conjunction with the flow of its very powerful beat.
Meaning that it seems that this very special Bruce Springsteen produced 6:31 minute ‘mantra’ can apparently never best be appreciated in either a small enclosed space or venue, or while sitting in front of a computer screen. Rather, it seems that this song does also need a great deal of wide open space to be both above and around the listener in order for it to be seen to most effectively work.
So, I must suggest to EVERYONE, that until you have gone for a long walk with this tune playing on a good set of stereo headphones (and I don’t mean tiny ear-buds), then you have probably never really heard the true possible impact of this song..
@johnnycarroll6346
I’m leaving my comment right here so when someone likes it I got a excuse to listen to this masterpiece again
@danielmcdermott138
Have you ever heard anything like it in your life? This must surely be his greatest vocal delivery; explosive, violent, wild, impassioned beyond belief. Somewhere in here lies the very essence, the very nucleus of rock and roll. It's so devastatingly romantic.
@joeramos214
I am truly amazed at the way you put this. I totally agree with what you say here. And like you said, definitely "the very essence.....of Rock and Roll."
@crendler9912
This is in my top 5 favorite songs. Truly beyond incredible, there are no words sufficient to describe it. I saw him in concert play this song, it made me cry.
@attsealevel
Agree with Joe, an amazing comment - so visceral (and a great song for sure). Bruce's music was the watershed for so many other artists to follow... Thx for your post!
@joshuacrome6976
This is the emotion of literally everything awesome about summer at the Jersey Shore in one song.
@danmartins5198
My dad passed away when I was a kid, and Bruce Springsteen was his and my mom's favourite artist- they got married because of his music. The line ''We swore forever friends on the backstreets until the end'' is written on my dad's gravestone. I miss him every day. This song will forever make me cry.
@GardenCelluloids
The opening piano chords are musical perfection. So much emotion in the opening compared to most music nowadays. Arguably the greatest American album of all time.
@dianelaag2944
One of Bruce’s best songs ever. So filled with emotion and to hear him do this live is just so incredible. I had from row seats at the Philadelphia Spectrum… Bruce played I believe 4 shows that week. I was lucky to see him 3 times…. While performing Spirit in the Night, he walked off stage down to the audience… he sang right next to me. I gently put my arms around his waist and hugged him while he sang. He didn’t budge…. We then lifted him back onto the stage…. What a night!!!
@InLikeFlynn21
I love this memory❤️What year?