12 Or 13, formerly known as "Took My Mind" or "Take My Heart" is a formerly unidentified post-punk song by Atlanta-based band Vietnam. Originally recorded in 1981 and never released, it was later on rerecorded and released in 2004.
Search History[]
On April 1st, 2004, a user named bowiestation made a post on the forum New Wave Outpost asking for the identification of a song he had taped on the radio from 1980-1982.
The initial post didn't get much attention, but bowiestation would later on post about the song again on March 30th, 2005, this time with information that it recorded from Atlanta radio station WRAS and a (now-dead) link to the song's recording, to which it would begin garnering some attention.
The song was later on reposted on Spirit of Radio the next day by bowiestation under the name Tim Cowart, and by Paul Miceli two times on December 26th, 2008, and on October 12th, 2010, and despite the moderate amount of attention the song got, it would still remain unsolved.
On November 4th, 2022, Bloost Media would repost the song on WatZatSong and on YouTube, which helped bring more attention to the song's search. In the YouTube upload's description and comments, Bloost Media pointed out that in the snippet's first 3 seconds, the song "Tell Me Something Good" by 3 Teens Kill 4 plays, and since it was originally released on acetate in 1982, Bloost Media speculated that the song might have been recorded or released on or before that time.
On May 3rd, 2023, FatBird identified the song as 12 Or 13 by Vietnam after he searched "took my mind" 1981 on YouTube and it popped up as the first result. Despite the YouTube upload speculating the title to be Took My Mind, the song's official title was actually 12 Or 13 according to the rereleased 2004 version.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
One day, the lord said that he'd stay too late
But I never heard from him for quite some time
Twelve or thirteen years have passed, but still I had no sign
How was I to live my life when you are on the line?
[Chorus]
'Cause you took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take my heart
Took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
The blood in my veins, the blood in my veins
You're supposed to drown in my blood
[Verse 2]
What could I do? I, I couldn't think, I couldn't talk
Twelve or thirteen times I asked, but still you wouldn't say
I was never very good, I have so many distances
You were there, but you didn't help, you only wanted to play
[Chorus]
'Cause you took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take my heart
Took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
The blood in my veins, the blood in my veins
You're supposed to drown in my blood
[Verse 3]
I was sweating on the floor, ready to pray
But nothing's going inside of my brain
[?] and the black in the air
I think [?]
I was walking along between twelve or thirteen
I didn't, I didn't know what did you design
You were there, but you didn't help
You only wanted to play
[Chorus]
'Cause you took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take my heart
Took my mind, took my mind
When you're supposed to take
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
My heart and my soul, my body and soul
The blood in my veins
You're supposed to drown!
Gallery[]
