1000 Oceans

Tori Amos explained that the idea for the song came to her in a dream. An old African woman was humming the melody to her, and she got up around 5:30 in the morning to record it.^[2][3] She describes writing the transition from the melody line around the words "I can't believe that I would keep, keep you from flying" to "and I would cry 1000 more" as particularly difficult, and what took the longest time.^[2] The inspiration for the lyrics came when her father-in-law died, and she claims the song helped her husband deal with the grieving process.^[3] The lyrics contain reference to Silbury Hill, an ancient mound in Wiltshire, England. This is a place often visited by Amos and her husband.^[4]

The video for the song was directed by Erick Ifergan and filmed by Toby Irwin, and it was shot in a downtown Los Angeles parking lot.^[5] It shows Amos singing inside a glass booth. The booth is in a busy street, and as people walk by some stop and stare. Others are engaged in everyday activities, and at one point a full-scale riot breaks out in the street, while Amos behaves like a mere distant observer.^[6] The video had its TV debut on MTV's 120 Minutes on October 24, 1999.^[5]

Reviewers generally had a positive attitude towards "1000 Oceans", and many mentioned it among the better tracks on the album. VH1 said the song was "one of the most billowing songs she's written in a while".^[7] The Tech called the melody of this song and "Lust" "powerful ballads" and "some of Tori's finest".^[8] Others were less impressed though; Spin magazine called the album track "perhaps the most disappointing", and claimed Amos came across as a "Celine Dion-LeAnn Rimes rip-off".^[9]

Sources:^[10][11]

US CD and cassette single

1. "1000 Oceans" – 4:18
2. "Baker Baker" (live) – 4:18

US 7-inch single

1. "1000 Oceans" – 4:17
2. "Baker Baker" (live non LP version) – 3:56

US maxi-CD single

1. "1000 Oceans" (album version) – 4:18
2. "Baker Baker" (live non LP version) – 3:53
3. "Winter" (live non LP version) – 7:01
4. "1000 Oceans" (video)
5. "Bliss" (video)

Australian CD single

1. "1000 Oceans" (album version) – 4:18
2. "Baker Baker" (live non LP version) – 3:53
3. "Winter" (live non LP version) – 7:01