Songfacts®:

• Addiction frontman Perry Farrell wrote "Ocean Size" in 1986, when he was living in his car in Los Angeles. He moved there from Florida after graduating high school at 17 years old. Initially focused on surfing rather than music, he eventually decided to make his mark in rock and roll.
  
  Homelessness isn't obvious in the "Ocean Size" lyrics, which discuss a general desire to be powerful and formless. The ocean's vastness allows it to absorb any impact, any suffering, to simply change shape and evolve with everything that comes its way. In "Ocean Size," a young, lost Farrell longs for that kind of invulnerability.
• Being in Los Angeles, Farrell was talking specifically about the Pacific Ocean, which encompasses roughly 64 million square miles. So, when he says he wishes he was ocean size, he's saying he wishes he was 64 million square miles – pretty dang big.
• This was the third and final single released off Jane's Addiction's debut studio album, Nothing's Shocking. It didn't chart but became one of their fanbase's favorite tunes and a concert staple.
• During a 2024 show, Farrell attacked guitarist Dave Navarro in the middle of performing "Ocean Size." The event led to the cancellation of the tour and, many insiders surmised, the final end for the band.
• The music video for "Ocean Size" mashes up footage from two sources. The surf scenes are repurposed footage from the "Stop!" video. The concert footage comes from a December 19, 1990, show at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. That concert footage was originally meant for a docudrama titled Gift, which was released on VHS but never on DVD. All the footage came from Farrell's girlfriend, Casey Nicolli, who also directed the music video for "Been Caught Stealing."