San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" is a song, written by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, and sung by Scott McKenzie. It was released in June 1967 (the Summer of Love), and became a cultural icon of the 1960s counterculture of Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco. McKenzie's song, penned by Phillips to promote the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, became an instant hit, and became the anthem of the hippie era. The song's lyrics tell the listeners, "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair". Due to the difference between the lyrics and the actual title, the title is often quoted as "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)". "San Francisco" reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., and was number one in the UK and most of Europe. The single is purported to have sold over 5 million copies worldwide. The song is credited with bringing thousands of young people to San Francisco, California during the late 1960s. Also in the hit movie Forrest Gump.