Happy 4/20!
I don’t really celebrate the holiday; in my late thirties, weed is just a pleasant, frequent background for me on evenings and weekends. It’s also an integral part of my relationship to music, and that was one of the hardest parts for me during my long sobriety from 2011 to 2018. But happy day to all who celebrate! Go out to Hippie Hill if you’re local. Why the hell not?
Stoner music is fascinating for several reasons. The music most well-known as stoner music is perhaps reggae, but also jam bands like the Grateful Dead and Phish. Those genres really are not my expertise, nor things I listen to with much regularity. But, the good news is: weed enhances listening to pretty much any type of music, and music for stoners exists across time and space.
Songs explicitly referenced marijuana in the lyrics tend to be overrated as stoner music. Singing about the thing you are actively doing is… a choice.
Today, I’m just going to share a small selection of artisanal, handpicked stoner songs, each taking you on a musical journey that is either about weed itself, or greatly enhanced by the effects of the drug.
“Stoned Soul Picnic” - Laura Nyro (1968)
The lyrics to this song are hilarious, because they really make very little sense. But Laura Nyro’s superpower, in her unfortunately short-lived career, was to create entire soundscapes out of simple lyrics and simple accompaniment. “Stoned Soul Picnic” was released as a cover by the 5th Dimension, only two months after Laura Nyro released it on her own debut album. You should surry on down and listen to it. “Surry” is a word that Laura Nyro invented for this song, but it just sounds so pleasant!
“Blow That Smoke” - Major Lazer & Tove Lo (2018)
It is currently very hip to talk shit about Diplo, and I understand why. He’s quite problematic. But his music, especially his older stuff, is among some of the best dance music ever. Case in point: his collaborative project with a rotating cast of DJs, and Swedish pop genius Tove Lo, “Blow That Smoke.” The song is about the absolute ecstasy of getting high with your friends when times are tough. It is both incredibly danceable and just a great time to listen to.
“Day ’N’ Nite” - Kid Cudi & Crookers (2008)
This song put both Kid Cudi and Crookers on the map. It is one of the most epic dance tracks of modern times, with an unparalleled drop, and a great song about smoking pot, and its ability to clarify one’s life. Just try not to dance to this one. Get a little high and analyze how brilliant the beats on this track are. Oof.
“Purple Haze” - The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
Perhaps not the most original song to put on a 4/20 playlist, but worthy of its spot anyway. This song is brilliant. We’ll never have another Jimi Hendrix. It’s so hard to gauge what his career could have been if he lived past 27. But the impact he and his music had on music as a whole in that short time cannot be understated.
“Excuse me, while I kiss the sky” is one of the most epic lyrics of any song I know. Listening to this reminded me of sitting at the beer garden in Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen. That safe, free feeling.
“Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved) - BT & JC Chasez (2003)
This song holds the Guinness Book record for most vocal edits — 6,178 in one song! I’ve listened to this song a hundred times in twenty years and I just learned today that JC Chasez, of ’N Sync fame, sings the lyrics on this song. BT understands the assignment of taking his listener on a journey. The advanced vocal edits, particularly, match the human brain’s own internal edits, which makes this song super fun to listen to while high.
“Bunny Is A Rider” - Caroline Polachek (2021)
Pitchfork called this the best song of 2021, which I agree with. I don’t even think this is a specifically stoner-related song, but it’s about chasing freedom and not giving up, no matter what. The sneakily complex rhythm and instrumentation in this song support a pretty wild set of lyrics and incredible singing by Caroline Polachek really create a whole package. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the journey they take you on is undeniable, and isn’t that what getting stoned is all about?