Walk on the Ocean

{{Infobox song

| name = Walk on the Ocean

| cover = Walk_Oceans.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Toad the Wet Sprocket

| album = Fear

| B-side = All in All

| released = 1992

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Alternative rock{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Vincent |title=How Toad the Wet Sprocket Navigates the Age of Nostalgia |url=https://www.postandcourier.com/free-times/music/how-toad-the-wet-sprocket-navigates-the-age-of-nostalgia/article_1bd0007b-4093-545d-87bf-1bace722855d.html |access-date=February 5, 2022 |work=Post and Courier |date=September 12, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=McDonnel |first1=Brandy |title=Toad the Wet Sprocket to play OKC summer show |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5594426/toad-the-wet-sprocket-to-play-okc-summer-show |access-date=February 5, 2022 |work=The Oklahoman |date=May 11, 2018}}

| length =

2:59 (album version)
3:32 (single version)

| label = Columbia

| writer = Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols

| producer = Gavin MacKillop

| prev_title = Hold Her Down

| prev_year = 1992

| next_title = I Will Not Take These Things for Granted

| next_year = 1993

}}

"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.

Composition

The song was written after singer Glen Phillips and his wife were vacationing on Orcas Island in Washington's San Juan Islands after they "hung out at Doe Bay hot springs with a bunch of hippies."

Phillips quickly wrote lyrics as placeholders, intending to change the words later, but he ultimately felt he could not write 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.{{Cite web |last=MacIntosh |first=Dan |date=January 8, 2014 |title=Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket : Songwriter Interviews |url=https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/glen-phillips-of-toad-the-wet-sprocket |website=Songfacts |access-date=February 28, 2021}}

Track listings

US CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Walk on the Ocean|others=Toad the Wet Sprocket|year=1992|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=38K 74706}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Walk on the Ocean|others=Toad the Wet Sprocket|year=1992|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=Columbia Records|id=38T 74706}}

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

European CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Walk on the Ocean|others=Toad the Wet Sprocket|year=1992|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=COL 658462 1}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Walk on the Ocean|others=Toad the Wet Sprocket|year=1992|type=European cassette single sleeve|publisher=Columbia Records|id=658462 4}}

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

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1992–1993) !Peak position
scope="row"\| Australia (ARIA){{cite web\|url= https://imgur.com/a/hQh7AMm \| title=Toad the Wet Sprocket ARIA Chart History complete to 2024\|publisher=ARIA\|via=Imgur.com\|access-date= July 26, 2024}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. \|align="center"\| 152
{{single chart\|Canadatopsingles\|22\|chartid=1748\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 7, 2020}}
{{single chart\|Germany\|67\|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket\|song=Walk on the Ocean\|songid=156416\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 7, 2020}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|22\|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket\|song=Walk on the Ocean\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 7, 2020}}
{{single chart\|Norway\|10\|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket\|song=Walk on the Ocean\|rowheader=true\|access-date=January 7, 2020}}
scope="row"\|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1993-01-30/\|title=Billboard Hot 100\|magazine=Billboard\|date=January 30, 1993\|access-date=August 19, 2023}} \|18
scope="row"\|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1993-02-20/\|title=Adult Contemporary\|magazine=Billboard\|date=February 20, 1993\|url-access=subscription\|access-date=May 20, 2025}} \|31
scope="row"\|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1992-11-21/\|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay\|magazine=Billboard\|date=November 21, 1992\|url-access=subscription\|access-date=August 19, 2023}} \|27
scope="row"\|US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/pop-songs/1993-01-30/\|title=Pop Airplay\|magazine=Billboard\|date=January 30, 1993\|url-access=subscription\|access-date=August 19, 2023}} \|10

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1992–1993)

!Peak
position

scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite web|url= https://imgur.com/a/hQh7AMm | title=Toad the Wet Sprocket ARIA Chart History complete to 2024|publisher=ARIA|via=Imgur.com|access-date= July 26, 2024}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.

|align="center"| 152

{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|22|chartid=1748|rowheader=true|access-date=January 7, 2020}}

{{single chart|Germany|67|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket|song=Walk on the Ocean|songid=156416|rowheader=true|access-date=January 7, 2020}}

{{single chart|New Zealand|22|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket|song=Walk on the Ocean|rowheader=true|access-date=January 7, 2020}}

{{single chart|Norway|10|artist=Toad the Wet Sprocket|song=Walk on the Ocean|rowheader=true|access-date=January 7, 2020}}

scope="row"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1993-01-30/|title=Billboard Hot 100|magazine=Billboard|date=January 30, 1993|access-date=August 19, 2023}}

|18

scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1993-02-20/|title=Adult Contemporary|magazine=Billboard|date=February 20, 1993|url-access=subscription|access-date=May 20, 2025}}

|31

scope="row"|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-mainstream-rock-tracks/1992-11-21/|title=Mainstream Rock Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=November 21, 1992|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 19, 2023}}

|27

scope="row"|US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/pop-songs/1993-01-30/|title=Pop Airplay|magazine=Billboard|date=January 30, 1993|url-access=subscription|access-date=August 19, 2023}}

|10

Use in media

The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2013 American film Jobs.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2357129/soundtrack Jobs Soundtrack] The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2014 American film Adult Beginners.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3318750/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd Adult Beginners Soundtrack] The song appears on the soundtrack of the 2015 American television series Hindsight.[https://www.vh1.com/news/fnj1s6/ultimate-90s-playlist-music-from-episode-2-hindsight Hindsight Soundtrack]

References

Category:Toad the Wet Sprocket songs

Category:1991 songs

Category:1992 singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Songs written by Glen Phillips (singer)

Category:Songs written by Todd Nichols (musician)