On August 18, 2012, the remarkable American singer Scott McKenzie passed away.
We offer today to recall the main song of his life, the legendary San Francisco. She is also often referred to as Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair from the first line of the chorus.
The history of creation and the meaning of the song San Francisco
John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas wrote San Francisco specifically to promote the Monterey International Pop Festival, which ran from July 16 to 18, 1967, and was the highlight of the memorable “summer of love.” Philips organized it with Louis Adler and Bill Graham. In essence, the song is a call to come to San Francisco with flowers on your hair in solidarity with the hippies.
The glorious history of the San Francisco song began in May 1967. Scott McKenzie sang it with Phillips’ guitar accompaniment and several other session musicians. The song became a hit immediately after the release and already in June reached the fourth position of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. In the UK, she became even more successful and climbed to the first lines of many charts.
San Francisco was the theme song for the Monterey Festival, which featured The Mamas & the Papas (Scott McKenzie sang it on them), Jimi Hendrix, The Animals, The Who, the Grateful Dead, and many other iconic bands and artists.
Since then, San Francisco has become the anthem not only of hippies, but of a whole generation of people who at least partially share their ideals.
Interesting about the song
- San Francisco was ubiquitously sung at demonstrations during the Prague Spring of 1968 in Czechoslovakia.
- The song sounds in many famous films, including the films “Forrest Gump”, “The Rock” and others.
- An excerpt from San Francisco can be heard on the Led Zeppelin song Dazed and Confused Whole Lotta Love.
- During the recording of the song, there were real flowers in Mackenzie’s hair.
- Subsequently, at concerts, Scott said that the song was dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War.
- “Love-in”, as used in San Francisco, means a mass gathering (usually hippies). This name is explained by the fact that love is often practiced on them in front of everyone under the influence of “weed”.
San Francisco Lyrics
If you’re going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you are 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.
San Francisco Lyrics – Scott McKenzie
If you are going to San Francisco,
Don’t forget to put flowers in your hair
If you are going to San Francisco,
You will meet good people there.
For those who come to San Francisco
Summer will become “universal love”
On the streets of San Francisco
Kind people with flowers in their hair
All over the nation
Such a strange vibration
People on the move
For a whole generation
Found an explanation
People on the move
People on the move
Those who come to San Francisco
Don’t forget to put flowers in your hair
If you come to San Francisco,
Summer will become “universal love”
If you come to San Francisco,
Summer will become “universal love”
