Matt Crocker Recalls How Hillsong UNITED’s “Oceans” Was Completed Beside a Dirty Sydney Creek
Matt Crocker Recalls How Hillsong UNITED’s “Oceans” Was Completed Beside a Dirty Sydney Creek. More than a decade after “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” became a defining worship anthem around the world, Matt Crocker has opened up about the rather unexpected setting where the beloved song finally came together.
The Hillsong UNITED songwriter recently reflected on the creative process behind the track, revealing how a simple melody, a clear theme and a writing partnership with Joel Houston helped shape one of contemporary worship music’s most recognisable songs.
Looking back, Matt Crocker explained that the song began with a melody and a verse before the writers started exploring other parts of the composition. However, one word remained at the centre of everything: oceans.
“Oceans was one of those melodies that I kind of had this verse, and then we went away and wrote other bits of it. But we just knew that one word was kind of the theme. The one word being oceans? Yes. And Joel Houston just finds a way of telling a story. Like it’s just a storyteller,” he recalled.
The songwriting journey took Crocker to New York, where much of the track was developed inside Houston’s apartment. With Taya (then Smith) singing through the early versions, the song gradually began taking shape. Still, there were a few lyrical pieces left to figure out.
Interestingly, the finishing touches did not happen in a recording studio or some carefully selected songwriting environment. Instead, Crocker and Houston found themselves sitting beside a small creek in Sydney, surrounded by empty Coke bottles and cigarette butts.
Describing the location, Crocker admitted that it was far from appealing, calling it “just like a dirty place.” But the unlikely setting did not stop the creative process.
“We’re just sitting there… and we’re doing lyrics,” he explained. “It was cool because we were just flowing. So I would say things, and he’d go, that’s good, but he’d tweak it and make it like Joely. And we just had it, and like, this seems like it’s it. And so we took it in and it was finished.”
What makes the story particularly interesting is the contrast between the song’s eventual impact and the ordinary surroundings in which its final lyrics were written. A worship anthem centred on faith, surrender and trusting God beyond familiar territory found its finishing touches in an overlooked corner of Sydney.
Since its release, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” has become a significant part of Hillsong UNITED’s musical legacy, with Taya’s distinctive vocals helping bring its message to life. Its invitation to trust God even when the waters rise has continued to resonate with believers across different generations and church communities.
Crocker’s recollection offers a glimpse into the simplicity behind the making of a song that would eventually reach far beyond the room where its first ideas were explored. Sometimes, all it takes is a melody, a shared creative connection and an unexpected place for something extraordinary to come together.
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