Fisher is best remembered for her 1959 song, "The Big Hurt" written by her manager Wayne Shanklin. The song went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart in the U.S. "The Big Hurt" is notable because it featured phasing effects; indeed, it is claimed to be the first song to do so. DJ Dick Biondi on WKBW would introduce the record as "Toni Fisher's weird one."
According to an unconfirmed source the recording session was conducted in an airplane hangar, which is suggested by the sounds of aircraft in the background. Actually the song was recorded in the famous Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles and engineered by Stan Ross and Dave Gold.
Disc jockey Wink Martindale commented that the record label bills the singer as "Miss Toni Fisher" because of her powerful voice, which is consistently audible over the phasing, the instruments, and the background noise; to confirm to the listener that this is indeed a woman singing.
In 1962 she had another Top 40 hit with "West Of The Wall" (#37), a song about the sadness of lovers separated by the 1961 erection of the Berlin Wall.
"The Big Hurt" was later covered by Del Shannon, Susan Rafey, Susan Farrar, Scott Walker, Nick Cave, BearEssence, and Nessie & Her Beard.
She died of a heart attack on January 11th, 1999.
How Deep Is The Ocean
Miss Toni Fisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll tell you no lie.
How deep is the ocean,
How how is the sky?
How many times a day
Do I think of you?
How many roses
Are sprinkled with dew?
(Verse ii)
How far would I travel
To be where you are?
How far is the journey
From here to a star?
And if I ever lost you
How much would I cry?
How deep is the ocean,
How high is the sky?
(Repeat Verse ii)
The lyrics of Miss Toni Fisher's "How Deep Is The Ocean" are a series of rhetorical questions posed by the singer to her lover to express just how much she loves them. The first verse asks how much she loves them and answers with the comparison of the depths of the ocean and the heights of the sky. The repetition of "how" emphasizes the magnitude of her love. The second verse asks how far she would go to be with them, and even raises the question of what would happen if they were to be separated - the answer, again, is that her love is as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky.
This song is a classic example of a love song that uses hyperbole to exaggerate the singer's affection for their lover. The comparison of the vastness of the ocean and sky to love is a common literary device, and has been used in several other songs and poems. The lyrics also reflect a sense of fear of losing the loved one, which is a common theme in love songs. Overall, the song is an emotional expression of love that is simple, yet effective.
Line by Line Meaning
How much do I love you?
I want to express my love for you.
I'll tell you no lie.
I'm being honest with you.
How deep is the ocean,
How much I love you is as vast as the ocean.
How how is the sky?
How much I love you is as high as the sky.
How many times a day
Thinking about you is not a rare occurrence.
Do I think of you?
You are always on my mind.
How many roses
The love I have for you is abundant as the numerous roses.
Are sprinkled with dew?
Just like the morning dew, my love for you is fresh and pure.
How far would I travel
I'm committed to going any distance to be with you.
To be where you are?
Being with you is all that matters to me.
How far is the journey
Doesn't matter how long I have to travel, as long as I'm coming to you.
From here to a star?
Going to the highest point in the universe is not a barrier to my love for you.
And if I ever lost you
Losing you is just not an option to me.
How much would I cry?
If I ever lose you, I'll be devastated.
How deep is the ocean,
My love for you is boundless as the ocean.
How high is the sky?
My love for you is infinite as the sky.
How far would I travel
I'm committed to going any distance to be with you.
To be where you are?
Being with you is all that matters to me.
How far is the journey
Doesn't matter how long I have to travel, as long as I'm coming to you.
From here to a star?
Going to the highest point in the universe is not a barrier to my love for you.
Contributed by Eva O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ted Kaplan
I once heard in an interview with Toni Fisher that the phasing effect was done by using two tape recorders and varying the speed on one of them.
Roger English
LOVE MISS TONI FISHER AND HER DYNAMIC VOICE!!!!
gdouglas999
I always liked this one just as much as "The Big Hurt."
1400deadwood
Overall a very good song - nice vocals & background orchestration.
John Krug
Hi: Thanks for posting this song! I didn't know they used phase shifting on anything other than "The Big Hurt." I even remember "TBH" from when I was a young boy. Pioneering amazing stuff. I have same on my rfreeform adio station: Surf City Sounds Plus
nexkyrouac
Your upload has the best sound quality I can currently find of this track. Thanks for continuing to share!
Tom Smith
You're welcome!
Marvin Smith
Thanks for putting this one up. It broadens one's Musical Palette.
Hans vd Linden
i still remember this song played on radio luxemburg (208 metres medium wave) on the english service, so always by nature in a kind of phase, but this one was really phased. thanks for posting.
Tom Smith
That sound was a gimmick used on some of Toni's recordings since "The Big Hurt" was a hit and used it.