She was born Laura Nigro on 18th October 1947 in the Bronx, New York, of Italian-American and Jewish-American parents. As a child, she taught herself piano, read poetry, and listened to her mother's records by Leontyne Price, Billie Holiday and classical composers such as Ravel and Debussy. She composed her first songs at age eight. While in high school, she sang with a group of friends in subway stations and on street corners.
As a teenager she experimented with using different names, and Nyro was the one she was using at the time. She sold her song "And When I Die" to Peter, Paul and Mary for $5,000, and made her first extended professional appearance in 1966, at age 18, singing at the "hungry i" coffeehouse in San Francisco. Mogull negotiated her a recording contract, and she recorded her debut album, More Than a New Discovery, for the Verve Folkways label. The album provided material for other artists, notably the 5th Dimension.
In 1967, Nyro made only her second major live appearance, at the Monterey Pop Festival. Although some accounts described her performance as a fiasco that culminated in her being booed off the stage,[8] recordings later made public contradict this view.[
Nyro was best known by the general public – and had the most commercial success – as a songwriter rather than a performer. Her best-known songs include "And When I Die" (made a hit by Blood, Sweat & Tears), "Stoney End" (covered by Barbra Streisand), "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save the Country" (all covered by The 5th Dimension), and "Eli's Coming" (a hit for Three Dog Night). Ironically, Nyro's own best-selling single was "Up on the Roof", a cover of the Carole King-Gerry Goffin hit originally recorded by The Drifters in 1962.
She died on 8th April 1997.
In 2012 she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Stoned Soul Picnic
Laura Nyro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you picnic? Whoa
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 (can you surry? Can you picnic?)
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
Stoned soul
Stoned soul
Whoa
Come on, come on and
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic (can you surry? Can you picnic?)
Rain and sun come in akin
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning
Stoned soul
Stoned soul
Surry on, soul
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
There'll be trains of blossoms
(There'll be trains of blossoms)
There'll be trains of music
There'll be music
There'll be trains of trust
Trains of gold and dust
Come along and surry on, sweet trains
Of thought, surry on down
Can you surry, can you surry? (Can you surry?)
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic (can you surry? Can you picnic?)
There'll be lots of time and wine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine (red yellow honey)
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine, moonnshine
Stoned soul, yeah
surry on, soul
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry, surry
Surry
The lyrics of "Stoned Soul Picnic" by Laura Nyro describe an invitation to a joyful and free-spirited gathering. The opening lines ask if the listener can "surry" (a slang term meaning to move or groove) and "picnic," setting the tone for a playful and carefree event. The repetition of these lines reinforces the invitation and creates a lighthearted, almost dancelike rhythm.
The chorus urges the listener to "surry down" to the "stoned soul picnic," which promises "lots of time and wine" and "red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine." These descriptions conjure images of indulgence and pleasure, further emphasizing the joyful atmosphere of the event. The use of "Stoned Soul" and "Stoned Soul Picnic" in the lyrics is also interesting because it's a wordplay: the picnic is not meant for stoned individuals, but it could be a trippy experience.
The second verse adds more elements to the setting, describing how "rain and sun come in akin" and how "the Lord and the lightning" come from the sky. These descriptions create a sense of natural harmony and suggest that the picnic is a part of this larger rhythm of the universe. The third verse brings in the imagery of "trains of blossoms," "music," "trust," and "gold and dust," creating a sense of abundance and richness. The overall theme is one of celebration, not only with the people attending the picnic, but also with nature, the universe, and all of the good things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you surry?
Are you able to move and groove with the music?
Can you picnic? Whoa
Are you ready to let loose and have some fun?
Come on, come on and
Surry down to a stoned soul picnic
Join in on the good vibes and get lost in the music
There'll be lots of time and wine
Red yellow honey, sassafras and moonshine
There will be plenty of time and alcohol, as well as some sweet treats
Stoned soul
Experiencing a soulful and euphoric state of mind
Rain and sun come in akin
And from the sky come the Lord and the lightning
Both good and bad things will happen, and you must take the good with the bad
Surry on, soul
Keep moving forward and enjoying life
There'll be trains of blossoms
(There'll be trains of blossoms)
There'll be trains of music
There'll be music
There'll be trains of trust
Trains of gold and dust
There will be plenty of beautiful things to see and hear, as well as strong connections with others and valuable experiences
Come along and surry on, sweet trains
Of thought, surry on down
Follow your dreams and let your mind take you where it may
Can you surry, can you surry? (Can you surry?)
Are you ready to enjoy life and let go of your worries?
Stoned soul, yeah
surry on, soul
Experience the euphoria and keep moving forward
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Laura Nyro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Kennedy
Not everyone can create their own sound . Laura Nyro was a genius .
HouseMartin
not a genius at all, but a good song writer
objetty11
Joni Mitchell, Carol King and Laura Nyro.. Just think of the amount of music these three women have provided for us to enjoy all these decades. I'm still in awe....
Oppothumbs M
Dong Longslapum Those two are not quite with the others in songwriting ability. I'd add Chrissie Hynde.
Dale Schmitt
I love Laura and Joni, but Carole is a different kind of songwriter. One of my hobbies is to collect pictures of 45 RPM labels with certain songwriters' names on them. I've been doing it for four years and I'm still finding old King-Goffin records I never heard of.
Lesley Vivien
@Oppothumbs M
Chrissie Hynde is OK but she tainted herself by getting involved in hate-politics.
uppity1
I would add Stevie, and Ann and Nancy. Powerhouse women.
johnnydtractive
And Rickie Lee Jones
Tom Mackey
I’m 68. I have loved so many of her songs but only this past week in Feb 2022 learned that this woman, Laura Nyro, wrote so many incredible hits. Wow. She wrote over 135 songs, many of which became hits for other artists. Stoney End is the song that led me to her. I am in awe at her talent, her soul, her music. As so often happens, she was taken too soon. For everyone who knows, or discovers her music, all the best.
Hypnocat
You said it all, Mr. Mackey! Thanks. I've known about Laura since 1966, when I saw her lip-syncing her "Wedding Bell Blues" on ABC's "Where The Action Is" (a popular after-school daytime music show). Her version of "Wedding Bell Blues" did not become a hit for her, but one year later, The Fifth Dimension" recorded it and it shot to Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 in about three weeks!