It doesn’t happen all that often, but there are times when a simple enough song becomes an anthem. This song is one of those, and so it is worth looking at the meaning behind “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond.
One Of A Kind
That is how some would describe Neil Diamond. He has sold over 130 million records in a stellar career that has lasted over 60 years. But it didn’t start with a deep conviction that music was what he wanted to do.
Early Life and Fencing
Neil Diamond was born in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, the grandson of Jewish immigrants. His mother’s side was originally from Russia, and his father’s from Poland.
Music seems to have been important to him from quite a young age. He sang with the freshman chorus and choral club at his High School. Also in that ensemble was Neil Diamond’s famous classmate, Barbra Streisand.
The Birthday Present That Changed Everything
For his 16th birthday, he got a guitar. And that same year, he attended a kids’ event for Jewish children. It was there that he saw Pete Seeger give a small concert, and he heard songs that other kids had written.
When he returned home, he took guitar lessons and began writing poetry. Even at this stage, he found that he could fit his poetry into the tunes he was writing.
College Scholarship
Neil Diamond was awarded a place at New York University on a fencing scholarship. It was something he thought at one time he wanted to do. He made friends with future Olympic fencer Herb Cohen. But, gradually, he started to miss classes to concentrate on his music and writing.
Just short of graduating, he was offered a short-time songwriting job at Sunbeam publishing. Neil Diamond dropped out of college to take advantage of this offer. He stayed with them for his contracted 16 weeks but was not rehired.
Now He Knew
The bug had bitten. Neil wanted to write songs and then record them or let others record them. It was the start of a memorable career. The mid-60s is when Neil Diamond started to become successful. Some of Neil Diamond’s early songs were recorded by known artists.
Deep Purple released “Kentucky Woman,” and “I’m A Believer” was a hit for The Monkees. Neil Diamond’s career was accelerating now, and his recordings were taken seriously.
And, then came 1969…
He had suffered a bit in the late 60s with litigation against a record label and a lack of success. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles and wrote what would become one of the most popular Neil Diamond songs ever, “Sweet Caroline.” From then on, it all became very different as he became an international artist.
The song was included on an album called Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show. “Sweet Caroline” reached #4 in America and #8 in the UK, which was his first Top 10 success across the pond. And it was the start of a successful run of recordings, some of which made #1.
And other songs kept him in the Top 100 for a decade. But, it’s fair to say that “Sweet Caroline” is the song that made Neil Diamond famous as a singer/songwriter. And it still sounds good today.
The Meaning Behind “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond
“Sweet Caroline” was recorded in Memphis at the American Sound Studio. However, the original title of “Sweet Caroline” was rather lengthy.
When it was first released as a single in 1969, it was called “Sweet Caroline.” But it also had “Good Times Never Seemed So Good” in parenthesis after the main title. This was considered unnecessary, which, of course, it is. So it was trimmed down to just “Sweet Caroline’.
Many songwriters find musical inspiration from within themselves and their experiences. And it is interesting to consider what Diamond was writing about and what “Sweet Caroline” means. There are two stories about the meaning of “Sweet Caroline” circulating. Both of which were started by Diamond himself at different times. Let’s take a look at both…
The Second Wife
He has stated that “Sweet Caroline” is about Neil Diamond’s second wife, who he married the same year as the song was released. In writing the song, he couldn’t make her name, Marcia, fit the melody. He said he tried various things but just couldn’t make it work.
So, he began to write down other names with three pronounced syllables, and Caroline was one. When the time came to complete the song, he realized Marcia just wouldn’t work no matter what he did. He went for Caroline, who was the perfect fit.
Take Two
But, there is another inspiration offered again by Diamond himself which has been the subject of some discussion. He says that the idea for “Sweet Caroline” first came to him in the 60s. At the time, he was scratching a living trying to become a songwriter. Evidently, he saw a picture of a young Caroline Kennedy, JFK’s daughter, in her horse-riding gear.
Neil thought that the photo perfectly portrayed the innocence of a young girl and decided there was a song to be written about it. However, on some occasions, he has said that Caroline Kennedy was not the inspiration behind “Sweet Caroline.”
The Birthday Party
The Kennedy family did seem to enjoy some lavish birthday parties. We cannot help but recall JFK’s 45th birthday while he was President. That evening produced a never to be forgotten image of Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday.”
In 2007, at Caroline Kenneddy’s 50th birthday party, Neil Diamond sang this song for her. That night, he said he kept the inspiration for the song secret until he met her, and then he would tell her.
Some Interesting Places
The song has been used in some interesting environments. It was the song that was used globally to mark the first anniversary of the COVID pandemic. People were encouraged to sing along with it as it was played.
It was used by the city of Boston after the Boston Marathon bombing incident. It is such a happy-sounding song it lifted people’s spirits. There was a surge in downloads after the event. Additionally, the Boston Red Sox play the song at every home game at Fenway Park. Neil Diamond went along to a home game unannounced and delighted the crowd by leading the singing of the song.
It’s sometimes used in the UK, too…
Often by the supporters of some teams as a football chant. It is regularly sung on the grounds of Aston Villa and Chelsea and has also been used for the national team. For the British Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Rod Stewart sang a version of it to a live outdoor audience. Although, some wished he hadn’t. But that’s another story.
There have been plenty of cover versions of “Sweet Caroline.” Neil Diamond’s personal favorite of all of them is the Frank Sinatra version of “Sweet Caroline.”
Curious About the Meaning Behind Other Famous Songs?
If so, check out our thoughts on The Meaning Behind Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 Hit “Time After Time”, the Meaning Of ‘American Pie’ Song Lyrics, the Meaning Behind “Hotel California” Song By The Eagles, the Meaning Behind “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, and The Meaning Behind “Lola” by The Kinks for more insights on famous tunes.
The Meaning Behind “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond – Final Thoughts
Songs that last forever. That is a good way to describe Neil Diamond’s music. It is music you build a relationship with, and that lasts a lifetime. He wrote the song in an hour in a hotel room. Decades later, it is still being played. That makes it special.
Until next time, happy listening.
