The Dark End of the Street
"The Dark End of the Street" is a 1967 soul song written by Dan Penn and Chips Moman and first performed by James Carr. The song became the Carr's most popular, reaching number 10 on Billboard Magazine's Black Singles Chart, and crossing over to number 77 on the Pop chart.
Written by Penn, a professional songwriter and producer, and Moman, a session guitarist at Phil Spector's Gold Star Studio, the song is written as a lament from an adulterer to his illicit lover. They continue their sin, "hiding in shadows where [they] don't belong" because their "love keeps coming on strong." At the climax of the song, the narrator fears "they're gonna find us some day."
The song has been covered by many artists, including Elvis Costello, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Percy Sledge, Linda Thompson, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.