In Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Ocean’ You Can Hear a Phone Ring
Led Zeppelin rarely made a mistake in their lengthy discography. They had a unique sound and could create incredible songs with original and different instrumentations. However, in the song “The Ocean,” many Led Zeppelin fans say they can hear a phone ringing in the background. Fans are debating whether this was intentional, and some can’t hear it at all.
‘The Ocean’ is a metaphor for the audience at a Led Zeppelin concert
“The Ocean” by Led Zeppelin was recorded in 1972 and debuted in 1973 on the House of the Holy album. It refers to fans as seen from the stage and is dedicated to the audience at concerts. According to songfacts.com, it is the only Led Zeppelin song where all four band members share a writing credit. It is also one of the only times bass player John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham sing on a Led Zeppelin track.
The intro lyrics, “We’ve done four already, but now we’re steady, and then they went, 1… 2… 3… 4…,” are uttered by Bonham and refer to the number of takes. The band tried to record it four times but couldn’t get it right, so Bonham said this as a pep talk. In the last line, “Girl who won my heart” refers to Robert Plant’s daughter, who was three at the time of recording.
A phone can be heard ringing in ‘The Ocean’
In “The Ocean,” a telephone can be heard faintly ringing in the background around 1:37-1:38 and again at 1:41. It’s very brief and blends into the backing instruments, so it can be hard to hear. However, many fans noticed the ring and wonder how that made its way into the song.
Recording producer Eddie Kramer, who was present during the recording of “The Ocean,” said it was recorded in a house, but he doesn’t remember a phone ringing while recording. Guitarist Jimmy Page remarked that some extraneous noises can be heard in a few of their records.
“I’m thrilled the records are recorded in such a way that the hi-fi quality, even though it’s tough,” Page told Uncut Magazine. “You can hear detail on it because that’s what you’re supposed to do. It was supposed to be something whereby you could hear everything that was going on.”
Fans still aren’t sure if the phone was intentional
Many Led Zeppelin fans are still trying to figure out the mysterious phone ring on “The Ocean.” Several users shared their thoughts on the phone on a Led Zeppelin fan forum. A few fans said they couldn’t hear it at all, even after multiple listens with headphones. Another joked that Robert Plant ordered a pizza and the pizza place called back.
One user pointed out that the sheet music accompanying the CD box set has the word “ring” printed twice above the percussion tab. This could mean that Led Zeppelin intentionally put the phone ring in, but many fans still believe it was a coincidence. There is no official confirmation on why there is a phone ring, so fans must keep coming up with their theories.
