San Francisco
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you'e going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you'e going to San Francisco
You'e 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, people in motion
There' a whole generation
With a new explanation

All of those who come to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair




If you're going to sneaky peepshows
Summertime is nice with wild wild hair

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes's song "San Francisco" invite the listener to visit the city with a ringing endorsement for flower-adorned heads. The lyrics nostalgically recall the hippie era of the 1960s and 70s, when San Francisco was a hub of counterculture, with droves of young people converging on the city for the Summer of Love. The song's chorus repeats the call to visitors to wear flowers in their hair, urging them to participate in this era-defining symbol of peace and love. The gentle people of San Francisco with flowers in their hair are emblematic of a bygone era, a time when young people believed that they could change the world and do it peacefully.


The lyrics also make reference to the social and political upheaval of the era, such as the "strange vibration" that was felt across the nation, as well as the "new explanation" that the youth of the time were offering. As a whole, the song is a tribute to the idealism and optimism of the 60s counterculture movement, which sought a better world through peace, love, and understanding. By inviting listeners to join in and experience the flower power of San Francisco, the song is a call to revisit the spirit of that era and continue to advocate for change and progress.


Line by Line Meaning

If you'e going to San Francisco
If you are planning to travel to San Francisco


Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
It is suggested that you wear flowers in your hair when visiting as it is a common and accepted practice there


If you'e going to San Francisco
If you are indeed going to San Francisco


You'e gonna meet some gentle people there
You will encounter friendly and kind locals in the city


For those who come to San Francisco
People who travel to San Francisco


Summertime will be a love-in there
The summertime in San Francisco is known for having music festivals and gatherings of people coming together to enjoy each other's company and music


In the streets of San Francisco
The city's streets and neighborhoods


Gentle people with flowers in their hair
The locals in San Francisco are often kind, accepting, and adorned with flowers in their hair


All across the nation
Everywhere in the country


Such a strange vibration
There is a unique and unusual feeling in the air


People in motion, people in motion
People are moving around and traveling


There' a whole generation
A whole new era or demographic of people


With a new explanation
With a new way of seeing things or understanding the world


All of those who come to San Francisco
All people who travel to San Francisco


Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
It is recommended again to wear flowers in your hair while visiting San Francisco


If you're going to sneaky peepshows
If you are visiting prohibited, inappropriate venues or activities


Summertime is nice with wild, wild hair
The summertime in San Francisco is lovely to enjoy with a carefree attitude and free-flowing hair




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Edmund Andrew Phillips

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Mr. Steal Yo Chicken Nuggets

my favorite song of theirs

Juan Ardon

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Fotis Baxevanis

Nice Stranger Than Fiction feel to it

JohnMcClane23

No shit, Sherlock.

J B

The next Die Hard should be set in San Francisco, featuring this song.

Zee Jorem

Doesn't sound like Spike though. Different singer?

JohnMcClane23

No, he's Spike and he sounds like Spike.

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