San Francisco
Scott McKenzie
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
If you're going to San Francisco Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair If you're going to San Francisco You're gonna meet some gentle people there For those who come to San Francisco Summertime will be a love-in there In the streets of San Francisco Gentle people with flowers in their hair All across the nation Such a strange vibration People in motion There's a whole generation With a new explanation People in motion People in motion For those who come to San Francisco Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair If you come to San Francisco Summertime will be a love-in there If you come to San Francisco Summertime will be a love-in there
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: John Edmund Andrew Phillips
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
13 facts about this song
Release Date"San Francisco" by Scott McKenzie was released on May 13, 1967.
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Chart SuccessThis song topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and garnered #1 spot in the UK Singles Chart as well.
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Cultural ImpactThe song became one of the anthems during the counterculture movement, especially among "Flower Children" and hippies.
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Lyrics ContextThe lyrics "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair," urged listeners to join the emerging hippie movement.
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Return to Charts"San Francisco" reappeared on the UK charts in 1989 and 1997, highlighting its ongoing popularity.
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WriterThough sung by Scott McKenzie, the song was actually written by John Phillips of the American folk group The Mamas & the Papas.
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Music GenreThe song falls under the genre of sunshine pop, which is characterized by a cheerful attitude, simple melodies, and sophisticated production.
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Iconic Status"San Francisco" is played every year at the finish line of the San Francisco marathon and at the start of the Bay to Breakers race.
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Song MeaningThe song reflects the idealistic and free-spirited mood of the era, designed to promote the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.
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Rough DraftsJohn Phillips supposedly wrote the track in about 20 minutes, and the single was recorded with the same backing musicians that Phillips used on The Mamas & the Papas' recordings.
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Global ImpactThe song was translated into many languages and is globally recognized as a 1960s cultural product.
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SequelScott McKenzie released a sequel to "San Francisco" called "San Francisco: 2", however, it did not chart.
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Awards"San Francisco" won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award in the UK in 1967 for the "Most Performed Work of the Year".
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Citation
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"San Francisco Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/13958200/Scott+McKenzie/San+Francisco>.
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