Table of Contents
Listening Activity
This listening activity is based on the song “San Francisco by Scott McKenzie“. The song lyrics are beautiful and ideal for English learners and include many interesting language topics, such as the simple future, conditionals, relative clauses, and going to + verb.
Let’s start with some information about the song!
San Francisco by Scott McKenzie
San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) is sung by Scott McKenzie. This page provides information about the song and links to the lyrics and the official video.
San Francisco by Scott McKenzie
Level
Beginner and intermediate students.
Facts about the Song
- Song: San Francisco
- Album: The Voice of Scott McKenzie
- Date of release: May 13, 1967
- Genre: Psychedelic pop
- Length of the song: 2 minutes and 58 seconds.
- Writer: John Phillips
- Produced by: Lou Adler, and John Phillips
Interesting Information about the Song
McKenzie’s version of the song has been called “the unofficial anthem of the counterculture movement of the 1960s.” The song is credited with bringing thousands of young people to San Francisco, California, during the late 1960s. It says:
If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
The Video
The Lyrics
Language Points
The song includes many interesting language points:
Expressions that may be useful to students:
- If you come to San Francisco,
Summertime will be a love-in there. - For those who come to San Francisco,
Summertime will be a love-in there. - You’re gonna (going to) meet some gentle people there.
Listening Comprehension
Sentence Completion Exercise
Complete these sentences while listening to the song:
- If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some ________ in your hair.
- For those who come to San Francisco, summertime will be a ________ there.
- All across the nation, such a strange ________, people in motion.
- There’s a whole ________ with a new explanation.
- In the streets of San Francisco, gentle people with ________ in their hair.
Gap-Fill Exercise
These words are used in the lyrics of the song:
- Generation – All of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively.
- Explanation – A statement or account that makes something clear.
- Summertime – The season of summer.
- Motion – The action or process of moving or being moved.
- Gentle – Having or showing a mild, kind, or tender temperament or character.
- Vibration – A continuous slight shaking movement or sound.
- Nation – A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.
Complete these sentences with the words provided above:
- The teacher gave a clear ________ of the difficult concept, making it easy to understand.
- The old house had a strange ________ that made the floors creak at night.
- The ________ gathered in the park to celebrate the historic event.
- The car’s sudden ________ startled the pedestrians nearby.
- The festival takes place during ________, when the weather is warm and pleasant.
- She spoke in a ________ tone, soothing the frightened child.
- The entire ________ came together to celebrate the national holiday.
Source: Wikipedia