Sweet Caroline wasn’t even about Caroline at all – at least that’s what Neil Diamond says!
The beloved crooner revealed this week that his most famous song ‘Sweet Caroline’ was not about a girl called Caroline…it’s actually about his then-wife Marcia Murphey. So if it’s about her, why isn’t it called Sweet Marcia? Well, because he needed a three syllable name, apparently!
“The song was about my wife at the time – her name was Marcia – and I couldn’t get a “Marcia” rhyme. Sweet Caroline – yes! That was it. And that’s what it’s been”, he told the US Today Show recently.
73-year-old Neil wrote the song back in 1969, when the lyrics were rumoured to be about John F. Kennedy’s 11-year-old, Caroline. They weren’t specifically about her, however he revealed that the innocence of the former US president’s daughter was an inspiration for the name.
No matter what it was about, I think we can all agree it is a timeless song. Last week we also found out Neil has released a new album that is getting rave reviews.
Have a listen to his most famous song below and try to decipher the meaning yourself:
What is your favourite Neil song? What do you think the song is about? Tell us below.