“Stoned Soul Picnic” (The 5th Dimension)

Yesterday the Supremes sang about “Stoned Love;” today, the 5th Dimension is keeping with that theme by going to a “Stoned Soul Picnic.” This song was written by legendary songstress Laura Nyro and originally included on her 1968 album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. The 5th Dimension released their version of the tune as a single in June of 1968; it got all the way up to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, #6 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart.

One of the key lyrics in the song goes like this:

Can you surry, can you picnic?
Come on, come on and surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
There’ll be lots of time and wine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Stoned soul, stoned soul

The thing is, nobody has any idea what “surry down” means. I mean, “surry” isn’t a real word. (Don’t get started about the surrey with the fringe on top, that’s a completely different thing.) When asked what “surry” meant, Laura Nyro famously replied, “Oh, it’s just a nice word.”

Yes, it is.

However, while none of us really knows what “surry” is, we all kind of know what it means, just from the context and the feel. Yeah, I’d get some wine and moonshine and surry on down to a lazy Sunday afternoon picnic in the park, full of trains of blossoms, music, trust, and golden dust. I completely get it.

The “Stoned Soul Picnic” single was produced by Bones Howe and released on Johnny Rivers’ Soul City label. Backing musicians were the cream of the Los Angeles Wrecking Crew, including Mike Deasy on electric guitar, Larry Knechtel on piano, Jimmy Rowles on organ, Joe Osborn on bass, and the ever-present Hal Blaine on drums. They give the song such a laid back, mellow feel that you can’t help but get lulled into the thing.

“Stoned Soul Picnic” was the first Laura Nyro tune recorded by the 5th Dimension. They liked it so much they went on to record a bevy of Mr. Nyro’s songs, including “Sweet Blindness,” “Blowin’ Away,” “Save The Country,” and the number-one hit, “Wedding Bell Blues.” Of all the artists to record her tunes, the 5th Dimension may have been the best match. It’s certainly hard to argue with their success with those Nyro-penned tunes.

And here’s your daily bonus track of the day, Laura Nyro’s original version of “Stoned Soul Picnic,” from her Eli and the Thirteenth Confession album. As you can hear, the 5th Dimension’s cover was vary faithful to Laura’s utterly charming original. I love them both.