San Francisco Mabel Joy

"San Francisco Mabel Joy" is a song written by Mickey Newbury, and is one of Newbury's most notable songs, an opinion shared by the artist himself. The song first appeared on Newbury's 1969 concept album Looks Like Rain, a milestone album in the burgeoning songwriter movement in Nashville at the end of the 1960s/beginning of the 1970s. Newbury's original version is a slow folk song which relates the moving saga of a Georgia farm boy's experiences in LA. The song plays an important role in Newbury's legacy: it served as the title for his 1971 concept album Frisco Mabel Joy; though it was not initially included on the album, a new version was featured on 1973's Heaven Help The Child and 1988's In a New Age. A live version was included on 1973's Live At Montezuma Hall and Live in England.

Twenty one artists have recorded versions of "San Francisco Mabel Joy." Joan Baez included the song on her 1971 double album Blessed Are..., Waylon Jennings recorded the song on his 1973 breakthrough Lonesome, On'ry and Mean, and Kenny Rogers' version was featured on his 1978 smash The Gambler. Other artists who've recorded "San Francisco Mabel Joy" include John Denver, David Allan Coe, and Kacey Jones. The Box Tops recording of the song, retitled "Georgia Farm Boy," can be found on the expanded CD reissue of The Letter/Neon Rainbow.

According to Newbury, the song was selected in 2000 as one of the top 100 folk songs of the past one hundred years.