IF YOU'RE GOIN'... TO SAN...FRAN...CISCO...
be sure to wear...some flowers in your hair 
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"San Francisco" was actually inspired by Scott's paranoia about the Festival's potential gi-normousness.
My childhood chum had this idea: 'Why don't we write a song - well, why don't you, John, write one - saying something like, "If you go to San Francisco for the Monterey Pop Festival, like, behave yourselves - let's not have a big riot up there."
So the first thing that came to mind was sort of a Grecian Olympic athlete image with the wreath on the winner's head and flowers in your hair, so I thought that would be the proper image for the song. About 20 minutes later I'd finished it and told Scott. He and I played it for Lou (Adler) that night, we recorded it the next night, and it came out the following Monday. And just as fast, it became a worldwide hit. I mean, one week, Scott wasn't even recording and the next week he was internationally known, the High Guru of Flower Power. He's never forgiven me for that. JOHN PHILLIPS
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The next morning, cold and stiff from sleeping in the car, and after a Denny's breakfast we went back into the fairgrounds and were going to hang around and wait for the afternoon show to begin. But I met a local girl named Sue who took us on a sight-seeing tour of Monterey instead. After a couple of hours of driving around and a quick lunch at KFC in Pacific Grove, we headed back toward the fairgrounds. Sue took us on into Seaside and showed us where we could find a cheap motel. Ah, no more sleeping in the MG. So we unpacked and got back to the fairgrounds just in time for the afternoon performance. We went back to the motel for a short nap between performances and then walked to the fairgrounds for the evening show. After the show I walked (and hitch-hiked) Sue home to Carmel Highlands, then made the long walk back home in the cold and damp fog. I think I finally caught a ride just outside of town. More...
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