The ocean refers to the sea of fans seen from the stage at Led Zeppelin concerts, to whom this song was dedicated.
The intro and chorus (the main riff) of this song are done in an alternating 4/4 and 7/8 beat, and the song is in a 4/4 beat in the verses and the latter part of the song.
[Intro: John Bonham]
"We've done four already, but now we're steady
And then they went: One, two, three, four"
[Verse 1]
Singing in the sunshine, laughing in the rain
Hitting on the moonshine, rocking in the grain
Got no time to pack my bags, my foot's outside the door
I got a date, I can't be late, for the high hopes hailla ball
Oh ho
Oh-oh yeah
[Verse 2]
Singing to an ocean, I can hear the ocean's roar (Ooh)
Play for free and play for me, and play a whole lot more, more (Ooh)
Singing 'bout good things and the sun that lights the day (Ooh)
I used to sing on the mountains, has the ocean lost its way?
[Bridge]
I don't know
Oh-oh yeah
[Guitar solo]
Ooh yeah
[Interlude]
Na nana na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na nana na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na nana na na na na na na na na na na na na
Na nana na na na na na na na na na na na na
[Verse 3]
Sitting 'round, singin' songs till the night turns into day (Ooh)
Used to sing on the mountains, but the mountains washed away
(Ooh)
Now I'm singin' all my songs to the girl who won my heart
She is only three years old and it's a real fine way to start
[Bridge]
Oh yeah
I sure is fine
I blow my mind
When the tears are going down
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[Outro]
[Ad libs]
Oh, so
Oh, so
Oh, so good
The Ocean was written by Robert Plant & Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones & John Bonham.
The Ocean was produced by Jimmy Page.
Led Zeppelin released The Ocean on Wed Mar 28 1973.