The 13th

Music video

The music video of the song shows Robert Smith, dressed in ripped velvet dress, lying on his bed and watching a TV broadcast where he performs with The Cure.

Release

The song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the US Hot 100. The song was played very few times during the Swing Tour and never again since the tour.

Writing for AllMusic, Ned Raggett rated the single four stars out of five and noted the unexpected tone of the song: "There's no question that 'The 13th' was probably one of the Cure's most unexpected singles -- though horns had appeared on the single mix of 'Close to Me' back in 1985, the distinctly Latin percussion and brass on the song here was something else entirely!"

Clash magazine said that, alongside "Gone!", "The 13th" has become known for dividing fans, describing them as "love/hate affairs", but noted they "still [show] a band happy to experiment and play with conventions." Peter Parrish described "The 13th" as "a pseudo-latin number with a not-especially-hidden message about giving in to your lust."

Track listing

All tracks were written by Smith/Gallup/Bamonte/Cooper/O'Donnell.

1. "The 13th (Swing Radio Mix)"
2. "It Used to Be Me"
3. "Adonais"
4. "Ocean"

1. "The 13th (Two Chord Cool Mix)" – 4:09
2. "Ocean" – 3:29
3. "It Used to Be Me" – 6:57
4. "The 13th (Killer Bee Mix)" – 4:16

Note: "It Used to Be Me" can also be found as an extra track on the Japanese version of Wild Mood Swings.

Personnel