San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) is – nog meer dan All You Need Is Love – het ultieme hippie-anthem. Ik kan er niet naar luisteren zonder dat de tenen me krom in de sloffen gaan staan, maar er zijn helaas nog steeds heel veel mensen die de hippies en de Summer of Love associëren met dit mierzoete wangedrocht.
San Francisco werd geschreven door John Phillips van de Mamas & Papas. Het was bedoeld als oproep aan jonge mensen naar San Francisco te vertrekken en zich aan te sluiten bij de alternatieve beweging in de wijk Haight-Ashbury.
De song kwam in zekere zin als mosterd na de maaltijd. Tegen de tijd dat San Francisco werd uitgebracht waren duizenden jongeren uit de VS al vertrokken naar Haight-Ashbury. De wijk kon deze invasie helemaal niet aan en de oorspronkelijke wijkbewoners moesten met lede ogen toezien hoe hun wijk verloederde, met dealers, bedelaars, junkies en dak- en thuislozen op elke straathoek.
Al bijna net zo erg was de categorie bezoekers die de hippiegemeenschap – die zichzelf nooit zo noemde – vooral zag als een touristische attractie. Naar verluid waren er zelfs reisbureau’s die trips organiseerden naar Haight-Ashbury om naar hippies te kijken: “The H/Ashbury was portioned to us by Media-Police and the tourists came to the Zoo to see the captive animals and we growled fiercely behind the bars we accepted”.
San Francisco werd door de activisten in H/A algemeen gezien als een poging een commercieel slaatje te slaan uit ‘hun’ beweging. John Phillips zal het vast allemaal goed bedoeld hebben, maar de weg naar de hel was ook in 1967 al geplaveid met goede bedoelingen.
Het beste commentaar op de vercommercialiseerde hippiebeweging, die – nogmaals – niets meer te maken had met de oorspronkelijke alternatieve scene in H/A, is afkomstig van Frank Zappa, die in 1967 al begreep dat ‘de beweging’ dood was: I’m proud to be a part of this gigantic mass deception!
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with that flower in your hand?
Well, I’m goin’ up to Frisco to join a psychedelic band.
I’m goin’ up to Frisco to join a psychedelic band.
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with that button on your shirt?
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with that button on your shirt?
I’m goin’ to the love-in to sit & play my bongos in the dirt.
Yes, I’m goin’ to the love-in to sit & play my bongos in the dirt.
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with that hair on your head?
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with that hair on your head?
I’m goin’ to the dance to get some action, then I’m goin’ home to bed.
I’m goin’ to the dance to get some action, then I’m goin’ home to bed.
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with those beads around your neck?
Hey Punk, where you goin’ with those beads around your neck?
I’m goin’ to the shrink so he can help me be a nervous wreck…
Hey Punk!
Punky!
Hey Punk!
Punk!
Hey Punk!
(Hey Punk!)
Hey Punk!
Hey Punk!
Punky!
(Hey Punk!)
Hey-hey!
(Hey Punk!)
Go man, go… go man, go.
…Soft gun.
Golly, do I ever have a lot of soul?
Punk, I think I love you!
Come on, Roy
Questi dominga?
Let me see that nose, it didn’t…
I wanna know for sure!
Leave my nose alone please!
What are you trying to do?
It’s him over there
Longa!
Tic Tac!
[FZ on the left:]
It’s one of the most exciting things that’s ever happened to me
You know, every time I think about how lucky I am to be in the rock & roll industry, it’s SO exciting. You know, when I first got into the rock & roll business I could barely even play the changes to this song on my, on my guitar. But now I’m very proficient at it, I can play the guitar, I can strum it rhythmically, I can sing along with my guitar as I strum. I can strum, sing, dance, I can make merry fun all over the stage. And you know, it’s so wonderful to… It’s wonderful to feel that I’m doing something for the kids, because I know that the kids and their music are where it’s at. The youth of America today is so wonderful… And I’m proud to be a part of this gigantic mass reception. I hope she sees me twirling, yes… I hope she sees me dancing and twirling, I will say: “Hello, darling!”
Is the song over?
[FZ on the right:]
Boy, this is really exciting, making a rock & roll record. I can’t even wait until our record comes out and the teen-agers start to buy it. We’ll all be rich and famous! When my royalty check comes I think I’m going to buy a Mustang. No, I think I’ll… I think I’ll get a Corvette. No, I think I’ll get a Harley Davidson. No, I don’t think I’ll buy any of those cars. I think what I will do is I will buy a boat. No, I won’t do that either. I think, ah, I’ll go into real estate. I think I would like to… I think I’d like to buy La Cienega Boulevard. No, that wouldn’t do any good. Gee, I wonder if they can see me up here, twirling my tambourine and dancing…
Maybe after the show one of the girls who sees me up here, singing and twirling my tambourine and dancing, will like me. And she will come over to me and I will walk… I will walk up to her and I will smile at her and I will impress her and I will say: “Hello, baby, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this? I’m from a rock & roll band, I think we should… “
Is the song over?
[Center mumbling:]
Ay, ay!
Mingia!
When do we get paid for this?
Ay, ay!
Stop sloppy rock & roll
Slop sloppy…
One more time!
Un…
Stop sloppy rock & roll
Bop bop bop!
YEAH! WHEEE!
Uitgelichte afbeelding: By Greenville News/Associated Press – The Greenville News, April 30, 1967, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150918885
