Today’s classic song with a woman’s name in the title of the day is “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. This mega hit was released in May of 1969 and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 on the Cash Box Top 100, and also #3 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.
Neil Diamond says he wrote “Sweet Caroline” about Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy. He even performed it for Ms. Kennedy at her 50th birthday bash.
Or maybe he wrote it about his then-wife Marcia, as he later related:
“I was writing a song in Memphis, Tennessee, for a session. I needed a three-syllable name. The song was about my wife at the time, her name was Marcia, and I couldn’t get a ‘Marcia’ rhyme.”
He’s told both origin stories at various times, so believe what you want to believe.
“Sweet Caroline” was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee with the group of session musicians dubbed the Memphis Boys. They included Reggie Young on electric guitar, Bobby Emmons on keyboards, Tommy Cogbill on bass, and Gene Chrisman on drums; Charles Calello did the arranging.
Younger folks today know “Sweet Caroline” for a different reason. It’s regularly played at various sporting events (most notably during Boston Red Sox games at Fenway Park) as a kind of sing-along to support the home team. When sung by the crowd in this manner, they typically sing “bah bah bah” for the descending instrumental line after the words “Sweet Caroline” in the chorus. They often add “So good, so good, so good” after “Good times never seemed so good.” It’s a group singing thing.
“Sweet Caroline” is a song that’s lasted. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2020 and, the year before, into the Library Congress’ National Recording Registry. It was long a highlight of Mr. Diamond’s live shows and has been covered by many different artists. It’s just the kind of song that sticks with you. It really is so good.
