Founded by Farrell and original bass guitarist Eric Avery, following the disintegration of Farrell's previous band Psi Com, Jane's Addiction was one of the first bands from the early 1990s alternative rock movement to gain both mainstream media attention and commercial success in the United States. Jane's Addiction's first release was a self-titled live album in 1987 and quickly caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records. The band's first two studio albums, Nothing's Shocking (1988) and Ritual de lo Habitual (1990), were released to widespread critical acclaim, and an increasing cult fanbase. As a result, Jane's Addiction became icons of what Farrell dubbed the "Alternative Nation". The band's initial farewell tour, in 1991, launched the first Lollapalooza, which has since become a perennial alternative rock festival.
The band briefly reunited in 1997, with Flea, of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, replacing Avery on bass guitar. In 2001, a second reunion took place, with Martyn LeNoble—and later Chris Chaney—occupying the role of bass guitarist. In 2003, the band released its third studio album, Strays, before dissolving again the following year.
In 2008, the band's original line-up reunited and embarked on a world tour. Eric Avery, however, subsequently left the band in early 2010 as the group began working on new material. The band released its fourth studio album The Great Escape Artist in 2011, with Chaney returning to the band for its recording and subsequent tour. In 2016, Jane's Addiction were nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Ocean Size
Jane's Addiction Lyrics
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They cannot move you
No one tries
No one pulls you
Out from your hole
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
I was made with a heart of stone
With one hard blow
I've seen the ocean
Break on the shore
Come together with no harm done...
It ain't easy living...
I want to be
As deep
As the ocean
Mother ocean
Some people tell me
Home is in the sky
In the sky lives a spy
I want to be more like the ocean
No talking
All action...
No talking
All action...
In "Ocean Size," Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell expresses his longing to be as vast and unmovable as the ocean. The opening lines, "Wish I was ocean size / They cannot move you / No one tries / No one pulls you out from your hole," convey his desire for the strength and stability of the ocean's enormity. The metaphor continues with "Like a tooth aching a jawbone," indicating the discomfort and pain caused by the longing for this impossible state.
As the song continues, Farrell acknowledges his own fragility, stating, "I was made with a heart of stone / To be broken with one hard blow." He finds solace in witnessing the ocean's cycles of destruction and renewal: "I've seen the ocean break on the shore / Come together with no harm done." Ultimately, Farrell desires to be "more like the ocean / No talking all action," indicating his desire for the raw power and simplicity of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
Wish I was ocean size
I wish I was massive like the ocean - untouchable and unmovable.
They cannot move you
Nobody can move or harm you because of your massive size.
No one tries
No one even attempts to move you because they know they can't.
No one pulls you
Nobody tries to pull you away from where you want to be because they can't.
Out from your hole
No one can force you out of your comfort zone, your personal space or your hiding spot.
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
Being pulled out of your hole would be as painful as a tooth being pulled from a jawbone.
I was made with a heart of stone
I was built to be strong and unmoved, without any emotional or reactive tendencies.
To be broken
However, despite my natural strength, I am still vulnerable and can be broken.
With one hard blow
It doesn't take much to break me - just one big, powerful force is enough.
I've seen the ocean
I've witnessed the sheer beauty and vastness of the ocean, which symbolizes strength and power to me.
Break on the shore
The ocean can be forceful and destructive, seen through the waves that crash onto the shore.
Come together with no harm done...
Despite its strength and force, the ocean can come together and maintain harmony without causing destruction or harm.
It ain't easy living...
Living life is tough and challenging.
I want to be
I aspire to be something more or greater than what I currently am.
As deep
I want to have depth, both literally and figuratively, like the ocean.
As the ocean
I want to be as expansive, limitless, and awe-inspiring as the ocean.
Mother ocean
The ocean is like a mother, nurturing and powerful at the same time.
Some people tell me
I've heard from others
Home is in the sky
People suggest that home is up in the sky.
In the sky lives a spy
There is an idea that something is watching us from above.
No talking
The ocean doesn't need to talk or make noise to be powerful and impactful.
All action...
It's all about the way the ocean acts and moves that makes it so powerful, not the way it sounds.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ERIC ADAM AVERY, PERRY FARRELL, DAVID NAVARRO, STEPHEN PERKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maxmustermann8442
Come together with no harm done...
It ain't easy living...
and...
No one tries no one pulls you
Out from your hole
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
This version of the song is perfect. It’s perfect how the intro runs with the clip of Dave. I love this band so much. It really hurts that this time is over.
@giantj28
Quite possibly the most under rated band of all time. These guys were ahead of everyone back then.
@oscarrocabert6268
Absolutely true.
@quincee3376
Omg so friggin true.
@justindpeak
Yep. Jane's started the Alternative movement
@wesleyalan9179
I love Jane's Addiction...and they were ahead of their time,no doubt...are they the best band? No...no such thing exist...now Built to Spill is a different story...you guys ever heard of Built to Spill?
They're the BEST BAND EVER! LOL
@rawknob
they're still ahead of the groove
@aaronrodgers1227
"I was made with a heart of stone, to be broken with one hard blow, I've seen the ocean break on the shore, come together with no harm done"...has to be one of the greatest lyrics of all time!!
@maxmustermann8442
Come together with no harm done...
It ain't easy living...
and...
No one tries no one pulls you
Out from your hole
Like a tooth aching a jawbone...
This version of the song is perfect. It’s perfect how the intro runs with the clip of Dave. I love this band so much. It really hurts that this time is over.
@ginadeam6813
That says it all. Nature is brutal because that's nature- humans are so much worse. The human strain- a returning plague.
@xesfoureyes502
"No talking, man, all action"