How has no one commented on this, perhaps Bruce's most heartbreaking song? One of the most painful tales of betrayal I've ever heard! Listen to Bruce wail after the third verse and then wail on his guitar for a vicious-yet-understated solo. Powerful, powerful song.
I firmly believe Springsteen is referencing the troubles of a homo-erotic relationship and the struggle to conform to society. The ambiguous character, “Terry,” his odd choice of adjectives to describe everyday occurrences, the tone, his demeanor; Springsteen tells the story about two men who, in common, live a lie, and together have found the escape; IE. The Backstreets.
I firmly believe Springsteen is referencing the troubles of a homo-erotic relationship and the struggle to conform to society. The ambiguous character, “Terry,” his odd choice of adjectives to describe everyday occurrences, the tone, his demeanor; Springsteen tells the story about two men who, in common, live a lie, and together have found the escape; IE. The Backstreets.
NOTE: It doesn’t necessarily mean Springsteen is telling a story through his eyes. As June Skinner notes in her book, “Tougher Than the Rest,” “…as he got older he began to write outside his environment… wrote...
NOTE: It doesn’t necessarily mean Springsteen is telling a story through his eyes. As June Skinner notes in her book, “Tougher Than the Rest,” “…as he got older he began to write outside his environment… wrote about other people and their often-difficult circumstances.” I am sure he showed glimpses in his early days as well.
Backstreets:
One soft infested (to live in an unwanted degree) summer me and Terry became friends (The question surrounds the male/female usage of the name)
Trying in vain (a body or stratum clearly separated) to breathe the fire we was born in (The innate desire of a homosexual)
Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth (Living in solitude, against the preaching of god)
Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house getting wasted in the heat (discovering solace)
And hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets (The escape from a judgmental society)
With a love so hard and filled with defeat (Difficulties of a same sex relationship that’s doomed from the start)
Running for our lives at night on them backstreets (Escaping to the world of comfort)
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 (the romance of a typical night out and the alienation they suffer, having to pretend)
Huddled in our cars waiting for the bells that ring,
In the deep heart of the night to set us loose from everything (the utter anticipation of escaping)
to go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets
We swore we'd live forever on the backstreets we take it together (The dream of a unattainable environment)
(The following is the narrators forced perception)
Endless juke joints and Valentino drag, (Realization of can’t escaping forever) where dancers scraped the tears up off the street dressed down in rags. (A common communal depression)
Running into the darkness, some hurt bad, some really dying. (The toll the lifestyle has taken on others)
At night sometimes it seemed you could hear the whole damn city crying. (Happiness is unseen)
Blame it on the lies that killed us, (living in secret) blame it on the truth that ran us down, (too difficult to overcome) you can blame it all on me Terry, It don't matter to me now. (One deciding not to follow his heart)
When the breakdown hit at midnight, there was nothing left to say (breakup) but I hated him (reference to the narrator’s 2nd life) and I hated you, when you went away. (Not happy with choice, but deciding conform to society)
Laying here in the dark you're like an angel on my chest (reflecting)
Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness (feeling like a coward for going back to the lie)
Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see (remembering happy times)
Trying to learn how to walk like heroes we thought we had to be (remembering what it was like hiding and conforming)
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 (admitting the secret would have avoided the stress of living the lie)
We swore forever friends on the backstreets until the end (the pact originally made, but now an attainable environment)
Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets
How has no one commented on this, perhaps Bruce's most heartbreaking song? One of the most painful tales of betrayal I've ever heard! Listen to Bruce wail after the third verse and then wail on his guitar for a vicious-yet-understated solo. Powerful, powerful song.
Another subjective interpretation, by Doug Kolk
Another subjective interpretation, by Doug Kolk
I firmly believe Springsteen is referencing the troubles of a homo-erotic relationship and the struggle to conform to society. The ambiguous character, “Terry,” his odd choice of adjectives to describe everyday occurrences, the tone, his demeanor; Springsteen tells the story about two men who, in common, live a lie, and together have found the escape; IE. The Backstreets.
I firmly believe Springsteen is referencing the troubles of a homo-erotic relationship and the struggle to conform to society. The ambiguous character, “Terry,” his odd choice of adjectives to describe everyday occurrences, the tone, his demeanor; Springsteen tells the story about two men who, in common, live a lie, and together have found the escape; IE. The Backstreets.
NOTE: It doesn’t necessarily mean Springsteen is telling a story through his eyes. As June Skinner notes in her book, “Tougher Than the Rest,” “…as he got older he began to write outside his environment… wrote...
NOTE: It doesn’t necessarily mean Springsteen is telling a story through his eyes. As June Skinner notes in her book, “Tougher Than the Rest,” “…as he got older he began to write outside his environment… wrote about other people and their often-difficult circumstances.” I am sure he showed glimpses in his early days as well.
Backstreets: One soft infested (to live in an unwanted degree) summer me and Terry became friends (The question surrounds the male/female usage of the name) Trying in vain (a body or stratum clearly separated) to breathe the fire we was born in (The innate desire of a homosexual) Catching rides to the outskirts, tying faith between our teeth (Living in solitude, against the preaching of god) Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house getting wasted in the heat (discovering solace) And hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets (The escape from a judgmental society) With a love so hard and filled with defeat (Difficulties of a same sex relationship that’s doomed from the start) Running for our lives at night on them backstreets (Escaping to the world of comfort)
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 (the romance of a typical night out and the alienation they suffer, having to pretend) Huddled in our cars waiting for the bells that ring, In the deep heart of the night to set us loose from everything (the utter anticipation of escaping) to go running on the backstreets, running on the backstreets We swore we'd live forever on the backstreets we take it together (The dream of a unattainable environment)
(The following is the narrators forced perception) Endless juke joints and Valentino drag, (Realization of can’t escaping forever) where dancers scraped the tears up off the street dressed down in rags. (A common communal depression) Running into the darkness, some hurt bad, some really dying. (The toll the lifestyle has taken on others) At night sometimes it seemed you could hear the whole damn city crying. (Happiness is unseen) Blame it on the lies that killed us, (living in secret) blame it on the truth that ran us down, (too difficult to overcome) you can blame it all on me Terry, It don't matter to me now. (One deciding not to follow his heart) When the breakdown hit at midnight, there was nothing left to say (breakup) but I hated him (reference to the narrator’s 2nd life) and I hated you, when you went away. (Not happy with choice, but deciding conform to society)
Laying here in the dark you're like an angel on my chest (reflecting) Just another tramp of hearts crying tears of faithlessness (feeling like a coward for going back to the lie) Remember all the movies, Terry, we'd go see (remembering happy times) Trying to learn how to walk like heroes we thought we had to be (remembering what it was like hiding and conforming) 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 (admitting the secret would have avoided the stress of living the lie) We swore forever friends on the backstreets until the end (the pact originally made, but now an attainable environment) Hiding on the backstreets, hiding on the backstreets