Back Streets

Beneath the palm trees
 See them wave like flags in the warm breeze
 They paved up the promised land
 And gave us the backstreets
 Breathe in the bus fumes
 Aphrodisiac, a gift from the tycoons
 Who Cadillac through the human boomtown
 Here in the backstreets
 This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
 This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it
 Living in the backstreets, baby
 Living in the backstreets, girl
 Living in the backstreets, baby
 It's a backstreet world
 Living in the backstreets, baby
 Living in the backstreets now
 Living in the backstreets, baby
 Living and lovin' somehow
 Oh the drunks tilt
 Down the big boulevards that the banks built
 Say your thanks and forget your guilt
 Hey this is the backstreets
 National fascination
 With the footage of the smashing of oppression
 Cashing in with a big success
 But not for the backstreets
 Oh, this ain't no limbo of souls, but no one expects it
 This ain't no boulevard of gold, and no one forgets it
 Those ivory towers
 The ones that point like guns up in downtown
 Shoot the stars and they'll win some wars
 But not in the backstreets
 Up in the think-tanks
 They must be jumping in and drowning like tame rats
 Never wondering what's keeping love alive
 In the backstreets
 This ain't no ignorant bliss and no one expects it
 This ain't easy street yet and no one forgets it