"lights" is the true subject, but there are those who prefer to say that "There" is an existential subject or before empty categories in syntax, they were called empty subjects.  By mentioning both the true subject and the empty subject you get to satisfy your sense of pattern and precision as well as for meaning.  

Phil

-----Original Message-----
>From: ?????? <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: May 2, 2006 5:03 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: subject
>
>on 06.5.3 8:51 AM, Rebecca Watson at [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>> What is the subject of the following sentence:
>> 
>> Above the door, there were lights.
>The subject is "lights".
>
>Mitsuko
>
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