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{{Infobox Song <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->|
{{Infobox Song <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs -->|
| Name = The Ocean
| Name = The Ocean
| Cover =
| Cover =
| Type = [[Song]]
| Type = [[Song]]
| Artist = [[U2]]
| Artist = [[U2]]
| alt Artist =
| alt Artist =
| Album = [[Boy (album)|Boy]]
| Album = [[Boy (album)|Boy]]
| Published =
| Published =
| Released = [[20 October]] [[1980]]
| Released = [[20 October]] [[1980]]
| track_no = 7
| track_no = 7
| Recorded =
| Recorded = March – September 1980 at Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin
| Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[post-punk]]
| Genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[post-punk]]
| Length = 1:34
| Length = 1:34
| Writer =
| Writer = U2
| Composer =
| Composer =
| Label = [[Island Records|Island]]
| Label = [[Island Records|Island]]
| Producer = [[Steve Lillywhite]]
| Producer = [[Steve Lillywhite]]
Line 32: Line 32:
The instrumentation of the song attempts to emulate the sound of an ocean.<ref>http://books.google.pt/books?id=8XMVa71H7nkC&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-BR&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>
The instrumentation of the song attempts to emulate the sound of an ocean.<ref>http://books.google.pt/books?id=8XMVa71H7nkC&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-BR&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false</ref>


==Inspiration==
==Lyrics==
The lyrics take inspiration from the story of ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]'' by [[Oscar Wilde]], as well as from [[Bono]]'s holidays as a child in [[Rush, Dublin]].<ref>Stokes, Niall, (2005). ''U2: Into The Heart - The Stories Behind Every Song'', page 16. Avalon Publishing Group Incorporated. ISBN 1-56025-765-2</ref> Bono has described the song as "comic megalomania".<ref name="U2byU2">McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). ''U2 by U2'', page 101. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7</ref>
The lyrics take inspiration from the story of ''[[The Picture of Dorian Gray]]'' by [[Oscar Wilde]], as well as from [[Bono]]'s holidays as a child in [[Rush, Dublin]].<ref>Stokes, Niall, (2005). ''U2: Into The Heart - The Stories Behind Every Song'', page 16. Avalon Publishing Group Incorporated. ISBN 1-56025-765-2</ref> Because it depicts a young rock star about to become an adult who looks at the world in front of him and wants to change it,<ref>http://www.muorji.se/U2MoL/Boy/ocean.html</ref> Bono has described "The Ocean" as "comic megalomania".<ref name="U2byU2">McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). ''U2 by U2'', page 101. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7</ref>


==Live performances==
==Live performances==
The first known performance of the song was on [[16 September]], [[1980]] at a concert in [[Plymouth]],<ref name="Oceanlive">U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/The_Ocean-s225.html All times The Ocean played live]</ref> although due to incomplete and missing setlists from the band's early career, it is likely that the debut of "The Ocean" took place at an earlier date. During the Boy Tour, "The Ocean" opened concerts 45 times, the most of any song on the tour.<ref>U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/Boy_Tour.html Boy Tour Statistics]</ref> The song was frequently played twice per concert, along with the songs "[[I Will Follow]]" and "[[11 O'Clock Tick Tock]]", often opening and closing the setlist on the same night. The last performance of "The Ocean" was on [[December 15]], [[1982]] during the [[War Tour]]. Following that performance, "The Ocean" was not played for over 22 years<ref>U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/article256.html Review of 2005]</ref> before making several surprise appearances during the [[Vertigo Tour]].<ref name="Oceanlive" /> The Vertigo Tour performances of "The Ocean" segued out of "[[Gloria (U2 song)|Gloria]]" or "[[The Electric Co.]]" The last recorded performance of the song took place on [[December 9]], [[2005]] in Buffalo.<ref name="Oceanlive" />
The first known performance of the song was on [[16 September]], [[1980]] at a concert in [[Plymouth]],<ref name="Oceanlive">U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/The_Ocean-s225.html All times The Ocean played live]</ref> although due to incomplete and missing setlists from the band's early career, it is likely that the debut of "The Ocean" took place at an earlier date. During the Boy Tour, "The Ocean" opened concerts 45 times, the most of any song on the tour.<ref>U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/Boy_Tour.html Boy Tour Statistics]</ref> The song was frequently played twice per concert, along with the songs "[[I Will Follow]]" and "[[11 O'Clock Tick Tock]]", often opening and closing the setlist on the same night. The last performance of "The Ocean" was on [[December 15]], [[1982]] during the [[War Tour]]. Following that performance, "The Ocean" was not played for over 22 years<ref>U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, [http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/article256.html Review of 2005]</ref> before making several surprise appearances during the [[Vertigo Tour]].<ref name="Oceanlive" /> The Vertigo Tour performances of "The Ocean" segued out of "[[Gloria (U2 song)|Gloria]]" or "[[The Electric Co.]]" The most recent recorded performance of the song took place on [[December 9]], [[2005]] in Buffalo.<ref name="Oceanlive" />


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 11:49, 10 July 2013

"The Ocean"
Song

"The Ocean" is the seventh track of U2's debut album, Boy. The song is one of U2's shortest, at just over a minute and a half in length.


Composition

"The Ocean" runs for 1:34. It is played in common time at a tempo of 85 bpm.[1] The song is played in the key of E♭.

The Edge uses a soft guitar delay of 10ms at 4-5 repeats.[2] Adam Clayton's bassline is one of the most notable elements of the song.

The instrumentation of the song attempts to emulate the sound of an ocean.[3]

Lyrics

The lyrics take inspiration from the story of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, as well as from Bono's holidays as a child in Rush, Dublin.[4] Because it depicts a young rock star about to become an adult who looks at the world in front of him and wants to change it,[5] Bono has described "The Ocean" as "comic megalomania".[6]

Live performances

The first known performance of the song was on 16 September, 1980 at a concert in Plymouth,[7] although due to incomplete and missing setlists from the band's early career, it is likely that the debut of "The Ocean" took place at an earlier date. During the Boy Tour, "The Ocean" opened concerts 45 times, the most of any song on the tour.[8] The song was frequently played twice per concert, along with the songs "I Will Follow" and "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", often opening and closing the setlist on the same night. The last performance of "The Ocean" was on December 15, 1982 during the War Tour. Following that performance, "The Ocean" was not played for over 22 years[9] before making several surprise appearances during the Vertigo Tour.[7] The Vertigo Tour performances of "The Ocean" segued out of "Gloria" or "The Electric Co." The most recent recorded performance of the song took place on December 9, 2005 in Buffalo.[7]

References

  1. ^ http://songbpm.com/u2/the-ocean
  2. ^ http://www.amnesta.net/edge_delay/
  3. ^ http://books.google.pt/books?id=8XMVa71H7nkC&printsec=frontcover&hl=pt-BR&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
  4. ^ Stokes, Niall, (2005). U2: Into The Heart - The Stories Behind Every Song, page 16. Avalon Publishing Group Incorporated. ISBN 1-56025-765-2
  5. ^ http://www.muorji.se/U2MoL/Boy/ocean.html
  6. ^ McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2, page 101. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7
  7. ^ a b c U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, All times The Ocean played live
  8. ^ U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, Boy Tour Statistics
  9. ^ U2-Vertigo-Tour.com, Review of 2005
  • U2.com - Lyrics to "The Ocean"


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