Walk on the Ocean

"Walk on the Ocean" is a song by American alternative rock group Toad the Wet Sprocket from their third studio album, Fear (1991). Two different versions of the song were released: the album version with a cold ending (timed at 2:59) and the single version with the chorus repeated until fade (timed at 3:32). Commercially, "Walk on the Ocean" peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 40 in Canada, New Zealand, and Norway.

"Walk on the Ocean"
Single by Toad the Wet Sprocket
from the album fear
B-side"All in All"
ReleasedOctober 15, 1992
GenreAlternative rock[1][2]
Length
  • 2:59 (album version)
  • 3:32 (single version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols
Producer(s)Gavin MacKillop
Toad the Wet Sprocket singles chronology
"Hold Her Down"
(1992)		 "Walk on the Ocean"
(1992)		 "I Will Not Take These Things for Granted"
(1993)

Composition

The song was written after singer Glen Phillips and his wife were vacationing on Orcas Island in Washington's San Juan Islands after hanging "out at Doe Bay hot springs with a bunch of hippies." The lyrics were written as placeholders, but Phillips could not come up with anything better. "I wrote down literally the first thing that came across my mind. The lyric and the chorus, I have no idea what it means, unfortunately. Then I tried rewriting it and nothing ever really worked. I tried to make the chorus mean something, and eventually said, 'Well, it sounds like I know what I'm talking about.' So we just left it as is. It was the least-conscious, least-crafted lyric," he said.[3]

Track listings

US CD and cassette single[4][5]

  1. "Walk on the Ocean" (single version) – 3:32
  2. "All in All" – 4:02
  3. "Walk on the Ocean" (album version) – 2:59

European CD and cassette single[6][7]

  1. "Walk on the Ocean" (single version) – 3:32
  2. "All in All" – 4:02

Charts
Chart (1992–1993) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 22
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] 67
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 22
Norway (VG-lista)[11] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 18
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] 31
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[14] 27
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[15] 10

Use in media

The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2013 American film Jobs.[16] The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2014 American film Adult Beginners.[17] The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2015 American television series Hindsight.[18]

References
  1. Harris, Vincent (September 12, 2018). "How Toad the Wet Sprocket Navigates the Age of Nostalgia". Post and Courier. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  2. McDonnel, Brandy (May 11, 2018). "Toad the Wet Sprocket to play OKC summer show". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  3. MacIntosh, Dan (January 8, 2014). "Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  4. Walk on the Ocean (US CD single liner notes). Toad the Wet Sprocket. Columbia Records. 1992. 38K 74706.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. Walk on the Ocean (US cassette single sleeve). Toad the Wet Sprocket. Columbia Records. 1992. 38T 74706.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. Walk on the Ocean (European CD single liner notes). Toad the Wet Sprocket. Columbia Records. 1992. COL 658462 1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. Walk on the Ocean (European cassette single sleeve). Toad the Wet Sprocket. Columbia Records. 1992. 658462 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1748." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  9. "Toad the Wet Sprocket – Walk on the Ocean" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  10. "Toad the Wet Sprocket – Walk on the Ocean". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  11. "Toad the Wet Sprocket – Walk on the Ocean". VG-lista. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
  12. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. January 30, 1993. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  13. "Hot Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 8. February 20, 1993. p. 77.
  14. "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. November 21, 1992. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  15. "Pop Airplay". Billboard. January 30, 1993. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  16. Jobs Soundtrack
  17. Adult Beginners Soundtrack
  18. Hindsight Soundtrack
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