Pop Song 261 of 500 'Sister Golden Hair' America 1975

Pop Song 261 of 500 'Sister Golden Hair' America 1975

"Sister Golden Hair" is a song by the band America from their fifth album Hearts (1975), written by Gerry Beckley. It was their second single to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100

Beckley says "There was no actual Sister Gold Hair." The lyrics were largely inspired by the works of Jackson Browne. Beckley commented, "[Jackson Browne] has a knack, an ability to put words to music, that is much more like the L.A. approach to just genuine observation as opposed to simplifying it down to its bare essentials... I find Jackson can depress me a little bit, but only through his honesty; and it was that style of his which led to a song of mine, 'Sister Golden Hair', which is probably the more L.A. of my lyrics." Beckley adds that "Sister Golden Hair" "was one of the first times I used 'ain't' in a song, but I wasn't making an effort to. I was just putting myself in that frame of mind and I got those kind of lyrics out of it."