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Subject: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: JoeBlow on 10/21/03 at 11:24 p.m.

Now that I find (via this site) that I hadn't mis-heard the lyrics to "Stoned Soul Picnic", what the heck does the word "surrey" or "surry" mean?  Can't find it in Webster's Unabridged...
Thanks!

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: bj26 on 10/22/03 at 06:38 a.m.

Probably means, just ease right on down to the stone soul picnic....Laura Nero really takes me back, when was it, about 1968?

Quoting:
Now that I find (via this site) that I hadn't mis-heard the lyrics to "Stoned Soul Picnic", what the heck does the word "surrey" or "surry" mean?  Can't find it in Webster's Unabridged...
Thanks!
End Quote

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: JoeBlow on 10/22/03 at 10:17 a.m.


Quoting:
Probably means, just ease right on down to the stone soul picnic....Laura Nero really takes me back, when was it, about 1968?

End Quote



Sure, you can figure it out from the context, but I'd like to know if this is a "real" word.  I mean, did the 5th Dimension, or whoever, make it up?  I grew up in the 60's and never heard anyone use it.  Is it regional slang?  I always thought it should be "hurry down...", which makes more sense.
The closest thing I can find is this from the Oxford Universal Dictionary (1955):

Surrey U.S. 1896 An American four-wheeled, two-seated pleasure carriage, the seats being of similiar design and facing forwards; a motor carriage of similiar structure.

Could this be what the song is talking about?

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: bj26 on 10/22/03 at 11:48 a.m.

Like in the song from Oklahoma, surrey with the fringe on top!  Stone soul picnic was probably conjured up from some acid induced dream, so they could have been floating down to the picnic in a funky surrey 8)

Quoting:


Sure, you can figure it out from the context, but I'd like to know if this is a "real" word.  I mean, did the 5th Dimension, or whoever, make it up?  I grew up in the 60's and never heard anyone use it.  Is it regional slang?  I always thought it should be "hurry down...", which makes more sense.
The closest thing I can find is this from the Oxford Universal Dictionary (1955):

Surrey U.S. 1896 An American four-wheeled, two-seated pleasure carriage, the seats being of similiar design and facing forwards; a motor carriage of similiar structure.

Could this be what the song is talking about?
End Quote

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: sinclair on 10/26/03 at 03:46 p.m.

The legend of Laura Nyro has for her using colors as directives in the studio to achieve certain melodic spaces or chords or whatever she meant by doing such.  With this in her rep, second guessing whatever is meant by "surrey on down..." is not easy, but I imagine it refers to the mode of transport, y'know.  This ain't a stretch.
Now, let's discuss what "funk"'s etymology is....
function at the junction, baby.

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: JoeBlow on 10/27/03 at 08:13 a.m.

Did Laura write this song, or The Fifth Dimension?

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: Mojo on 10/29/03 at 00:36 a.m.

The "surrey" refers to the horse-drawn carriage rides which still take tourists and lovers through Central Park in NYC.

Great horn and string arrangements by Marty Paich in both that and in Sweet Blindness. Good stuff.

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: JoeBlow on 10/29/03 at 09:27 a.m.


Quoting:
The "surrey" refers to the horse-drawn carriage rides which still take tourists and lovers through Central Park in NYC.End Quote



OK, that makes sense.  Thanks!

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: bj26 on 11/06/03 at 06:01 a.m.

Laura wrote it and also Eli's Coming by 3 Dog Night.  She wrote a lot of other songs that other groups have done.

Quoting:
Did Laura write this song, or The Fifth Dimension?
End Quote

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: adagio on 11/11/03 at 08:17 p.m.

"An American four-wheeled, two-seated pleasure carriage, the seats being of similiar design and facing forwards; a motor carriage of similiar structure."

This is what I would say it was too.

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: Mitch on 03/27/04 at 08:08 p.m.

For what it's worth, I've always thought that the lyrics were a slurring of the words " Let's Hurry down" ie: 'S HURRY DOWN, to a stone-soul picnic...

I'm not sure - but who ever knows what Laura Nero meant in half of her lyrics? They were just groovy - but sometimes unclear.

Subject: Re: Stoned Soul Picnic

Written By: Howard on 03/28/04 at 12:09 a.m.

That one is a pretty good song next to "Up,Up And Away".


Howard