“My favorite song ever written.” —Stuart Adamson, Melody Maker interview, March 26, 1990
This song is sometimes simply entitled “Thirteen Valleys” or “13 Valleys”
Thirteen valleys he has wandered for her love
For he thinks he is the one that she dreams of
But her bed was made elsewhere
From the first day she got there
Now he wanders thirteen valleys crying out
Now he wanders thirteen valleys crying out
It could have been me
I said it could have been me
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
Thirteen valleys she has gone since morning came
She gave so much that only love remains
But her lover is long gone
With the money she sent on
Now she wanders thirteen valleys crying out
Now she wanders thirteen valleys crying out
It could have been me
I said it could have been me
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
That broken heart will be forever and a lifetime
That broken heart will try your love like none before
And you may fight or you may run
For what was fast is now undone
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
Thirteen valleys lying silent in the haze
Filled with promises and spirits that we raised
But the spirits all are ghosts
Of the ones we hurt the most
And they wander thirteen valleys crying out
And they wander thirteen valleys crying out
It could have been me
I said it could have been me
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
It could have been me
I said it could have been me
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
That broken heart will be forever and a lifetime
That broken heart will try your love like none before
And you may fight or you may run
For what was fast is now undone
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
A broken heart needs someone new to blame it on
“Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)” (Corazon Roto (Trece Valles)) is track 2 on side 1 of the 1988 Argentina compilation promo LP (referred to as a “Maxi-Simple”) (Polydor Records 570-1). It is also track 13 on the 1995 German compilation “1988 World Hits”, as well as track 6 of CD 2 of the 2CD Time-Life UK compilation “The Power of Love 1988-1989”.