Neil Diamond – Who Is That Sweet Caroline?

There has always been a great deal of interest in the genesis of one of the most enduring pop songs of a generation. The Guardian reports that this mystery has recently been solved. To music lovers across the world, it is one of the emblematic songs of the 60s, a lively, catchy love song to a girl known simply as Sweet Caroline. Now, 40 years after its release, the singer and songwriter Neil Diamond has revealed the inspiration behind the song: the Caroline in question was Caroline Kennedy, now the only surviving child of President John F Kennedy.

Diamond, 66, revealed how he had never revealed the origins of the song with anyone, preferring to keep it a secret until the day he actually met Caroline face to face. Diamond let the cat out of the bag, telling both the press and the song's subject about its origin, when he finally met the now Caroline Bouvier Kennedy Schlossberg, and performed the song for her 50th birthday. He stated that the song was extremely important to him and one of his first really big hits, going onto to be a massive seller. "I have to thank her for the inspiration," he said. The song really made his mark and left the public in no two minds that Neil was a great songwriter and performer.

He told Associated Press that he was happy to have gotten it off his chest and to have expressed it to Caroline. "I thought she might be embarrassed, but she seemed to be struck by it and really, really happy." The motivation for the song came from a photograph of the then nine-year-old Kennedy the singer saw in a magazine while staying at a hotel in Memphis. "It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony," Diamond said. "It was such an innocent, wonderful picture; I immediately felt there was a song in there."

Later on, Diamond penned the song inspired by the photograph. It became a hit, reviving his flagging career and eventually selling more than 2 million copies and providing countless karaoke singers with a chance to shine.

Ever popular the song recently reappeared in the singles chart in the US, thanks in part to the fact that it is belted out during home games at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. "I think they consider it good luck," Diamond told the Associated Press, adding that the Red Sox have become his favourite baseball team.

Just for memories, here are the words to the great song - you can hum along to the melody...

Where it began

I cant begin to knowin

But then I know its growin strong

Was in the spring

And spring became the summer

Whod have believed youd come along

Hands, touchin hands

Reachin out

Touchin me

Touchin you

Sweet caroline

Good times never seemed so good

Ive been inclined

To believe they never would

But now i

Look at the night

And it dont seem so lonely

We fill it up with only two

And when I hurt

Hurtin runs off my shoulders

How can I hurt when Im with you

Warm, touchin warm

Reachin out

Touchin me

Touchin me

Sweet caroline

Good times never seemed so good

Ive been inclined

To believe they never would

Oh, no, no

Sweet caroline

Good times never seemed so good

Ive been inclined

I believed they never could

Sweet caroline

Source: www.guardian.co.uk