Thirteen (song)
| "Thirteen" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Big Star | |
| from the album #1 Record | |
| Released | April 1972 |
| Recorded | Late 1971 |
| Studio | Ardent, Memphis |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:34 |
| Label | Ardent |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | John Fry |
"Thirteen" is a song by the American rock band Big Star. Rolling Stone describes it "one of rock's most beautiful celebrations of adolescence", and rated it #406 on their list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.[1] It was written by Alex Chilton and Chris Bell.
Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom writes in his Allmusic review of the song, "There are few songs that capture the aching innocence of adolescence as well" and calls it a "perfect melancholy ballad".[2] The song encompasses folk and pop characteristics with its use of simple lyrics and the acoustic guitar.[2][3]
The song was originally featured on the 1972 album #1 Record. It was released as a single by Big Star with “Watch the Sunrise” as the B-Side, on Ardent Records, but was mislabeled as “Don’t Lie to Me”.
"Thirteen" was featured in the finale of That '70s Show.
Covers
"Thirteen" has been covered by several notable musicians. They include:
| Artist | Album |
|---|---|
| Beach Slang | Quiet Slang |
| Evan Dando | Live at the Brattle Theatre |
| Deus | Sister Dew |
| Garbage | Version 2.0 (Japanese edition), "Push It" single |
| Albert Hammond Jr. | Cool For School: For the Benefit of The Lunchbox Fund |
| Happy Flowers | Lasterday I Was Been Bad |
| Håkan Hellström | Nåt gammalt, nåt nytt, nåt lånat, nåt blått |
| Katell Keineg | At The Mermaid Parade |
| Kind of Like Spitting | The Thrill of the Hunt |
| Mary Lou Lord | Live City Sounds |
| Magnapop | Magnapop |
| Rose Melberg | September |
| The Menzingers | Covers EP |
| Obadiah Parker | The Tip Jar |
| Elliott Smith | New Moon |
| Wilco | Big Star, Small World |
| Kathryn Williams | Relations |
| Textor & Renz | The Days of Never Coming Back and Never Getting Nowhere |
| Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Spotify Singles (Recorded At Spotify Studios at NYC) |
| Joshua Radin | 10 Years of Mom+Pop (Label Compilation) |
When asked if there was a Big Star cover he was especially fond of, lead singer Alex Chilton mentioned Garbage's version of this song.[4]
References
- ^ "Thirteen: Big Star". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. "Thirteen - Big Star". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-02-02.
- ^ Roni Sarig (1998). The Secret History of Rock: The Most Influential Bands You've Never Heard. Billboard Books. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-8230-7669-7.
- ^ "Alex Chilton Set to Go". Rolling Stone. February 28, 2000. Retrieved 2009-08-26.