Theme from San Francisco

"Theme from San Francisco," also known as "San Francisco," was a song from the 1936 American film San Francisco. The song had music written by Bronislaw Kaper and Walter Jurmann, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The film is set in San Francisco before and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The song is sung by Jeanette MacDonald six times in the film, and becomes an anthem for the survivors of the earthquake.

The opening lyrics are as follows:
"San Francisco, open your Golden Gate
You'll let nobody wait outside your door
San Francisco, here is your wanderin' one
Saying I'll wander no more. "

The song is now a popular sentimental sing-along at public events such as the city's annual earthquake commemoration. It is one of two official city songs, along with "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."^[1]

Judy Garland included the song to her concert repertoire, with a new introduction that starts, "I never will forget Jeanette MacDonald; just to think of her it gives my heart a pang. I never will forget, how that brave Jeanette, just stood there in the ruins and sang. A-a-a-and sang..."^[2] Judy opened a late 1950's concert at San Francisco's Cow Palace with her version. It was so well and tumultuously received that she sang it again as an encore.

It was also sung by the cast of Beach Blanket Babylon at Candlestick Park prior to Game 3 of the 1989 World Series on October 27, 1989, ten days following the Loma Prieta earthquake.

The song is played after every score by the NFL's San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park.

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