Expert: Geoff Wickens - 6/16/2006

Question
HI, I am trying to figure out a song i heard in the backround on
tv the other day,,,i thought it was neil young ,,or willie nelson,,
but i have had no luck when i was searching,,, would you happen
to know the tittle to this song,,i ony know this part...."if your
going to san fransisco" and thats all i can remeber,,,i dont know
who sing it for sure either. its kidda a slow hippie song from the
late 60's i believe Thanks for your time"

Answer
That song, my friend is one of the mainstay songs from the late 60's entitled "If You're Going To San Francisco" and was written and sung by Scott Mackenzie in 1967.

Early on the day Scott recorded "San Francisco", some friends picked wildflowers and wove a garland, which he wore while he sang, as his friends sat on the floor and meditated in the studio.

Since the city of San Francisco was the primary west coast port of disembarkation for all returning military personnel, the song San Francisco became a homecoming song for all Vietnam Veterans from 1967 on. Scott has dedicated every American performance of San Francisco to Vietnam veterans and in 2002 sang at the 20th anniversary of the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

In the rest of the world, especially in Eastern Europe, San Francisco became a freedom song. "During the Cold War the secret police threatened residents with imprisonment just for listening to western music. Many of these people adopted San Francisco as their personal anthem of hope and freedom. It is very humbling," says Scott.

Although Scott followed "San Francisco" with another John Phillips song called "Like An Old Time Movie", the latter was a minor hit, and to this day he is known as a 'one hit wonder'. On stage Scott says that if you are going to be a one hit wonder, "San Francisco" is the hit to have.

Surprisingly, Scott McKenzie dislikes the sound of his own voice. This is perhaps another of the reasons that he didn't continue a recording career.

I hoped I answered you question and a few more regarding this great song.

Thanks for asking and don't forget to rate this answer.

Geoff