Why I Love "The Ocean"

"The Ocean" is off Led Zep's Houses of the Holy (1973). It's definitely in my Top 10 of favourite tunes. It starts out with a chant by drummer John Bonham and I'm glad they kept the chant and the squeak of his bass pedal in the final recording. "The Ocean" does this really awesome switch between 4/4 time and 7/8 time. Plus I love all how the song has so many pieces to it: the rock verses, the short lull before a huge storm of rock, and the doo-wop at the end. It's a really great example of Led Zeppelin's contributions to the world of rock.

But my connection to "The Ocean" isn't just relegated to its sweet jams. In 2008, my family and I went to Aruba, the place where my mother spent her childhood. We were standing atop a dune looking out at the ocean and my mum told me about how "The Ocean" always reminded her of her life in Aruba and how she and her friends would sing along when it came on the radio.

Houses of the Holy

Now that I live in a place where it's a short trip to the beach, I understand how awesome "The Ocean" is. Sure, the lyrics aren't about how sweet it is to live near the beach, but it talks about the power of the ocean, how it washed away the mountains, and how he can sing to it. And now, my love of "The Ocean" is a connection I have with my mother.

"The Ocean" has its own familial piece to it. Robert Plant wrote in a sweet little love ballad to his daughter Carmen. "Now I'm singing all my songs/to the girl who stole my heart./She is only three years old/and that's a real good way to start." Whenever Led Zep performed the song live, Plant would update the lyrics with her current age.


Just a hint, but there'll be a piece on Led Zeppelin II very soon :)