Who Is Sweet Caroline?

[MrsSpringsteen]

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his smash hit "Sweet Caroline."

"I've never discussed it with anybody before — intentionally," the 66-year-old singer-songwriter told The Associated Press on Monday during a break from recording. "I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday."

He got his chance last week when he performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's 50th birthday party.

Diamond was a "young, broke songwriter" when a photo of the president's daughter in a news magazine caught his eye.

"It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony," Diamond recalled. "It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there."

Years later, holed up in a hotel in Memphis, he would write the words and music in less an hour.

"It was a No. 1 record and probably is the biggest, most important song of my career, and I have to thank her for the inspiration," he said. "I'm happy to have gotten it off my 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."

He is working on a new album with Rick Rubin.

 

[Doozer61]

 

[Lila64]

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Some people are saying online that it's creepy because of the lyrics

 

[Butterscotch]

"reaching out..touching me...touching YOOOOOU!" Yeah, that's creepy, if it is indeed written about a little girl on a horse. But you know, I hate to sound like a drip and a skeptic, but I doubt this story is even true. Come on, he sees a pic of a girl on a horse, then several years later writes a song about it in an hour? I don't buy it. He probably just said this now to impress her or get attention or something.

I would like to know, did he make this 'confession' before or after he was asked to sing for her birthday party? Maybe it's what gave him the idea, either way. I'm not convinced he's for real here.

 

[BVS]

See, this is why artist should rarely reveal certain inspirations...

Looking at a picture of innocence and "American Royalty" and using the words reaching out, touching, etc may have completely made sense to him in a very unsexual way, but many will never understand metaphor, or understand the mindset, but will always go for the lowest common denominator.

*This isn't aimed at the above poster.*

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

That's what I thought when I read some of the comments online, and that he could have started with that picture and expanded on it as a metaphor or whatever. Of course some people do put a 2007 creeped out mindset on it, and back then things were much more innocent. Touching me, touching you was just a nice sentiment back then, regardless of the fact that no one knew it was inspired by a kid. Some people were also skeptical about it, that he's doing it for publicity, etc. He is still very successful for his age and I think his last CD sold pretty well. I really don't see that he would have a need to lie about that, especially about a person who is still living. People are entitled to believe what they want but I give him the benefit of the doubt. The reaction is depressing in a certain way.

Now I just need to know who You're So Vain is about.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

My question now is, why have the Boston Red Sox fans adopted this song?

 

[RedRocksU2]

Good question.

I just remember singing it while at Fenway Park....awesome.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Now I just need to know who You're So Vain is about.

Just track down the guy she auctioned off the secret to.

I heard somewhere that, every year from whichever point (two or three years ago) she's going to reveal one letter of the person's name. Of course she's going with "e" and "a" to start.

Damn musicians.

 

[RedRocksU2]

found it;

"Good Times Never Seemed So Good For Red Sox Fans

Neil Diamond and the Boston Red Sox are two American institutions with a very loyal following. And since the late ‘90s these two pop culture icons have been linked together through one of the more odd traditions at Fenway Park.

At every Red Sox home game, Diamond’s classic Sweet Caroline is played on the ballpark’s speakers before the bottom of the 8th inning. The sing-along song has become such a Fenway staple that it was even included in the 2005 movie Fever Pitch.

Most Sox fans, and moviegoers, are aware that Sweet Caroline is played as often at Fenway Park as The Star-Spangled Banner. But very few people know the reason why.

"I'm not sure how it started, but we're very pleased that it happened," Diamond's press agent, Sherrie Levy, said.

The song itself was born out of humble beginnings, written by Diamond in a Memphis hotel room the day before a recording session. It debuted as a single on June 28, 1969.

Sweet Caroline eventually reached #4 on the Billboard chart and over two million copies of the song were sold. But how did it become the 8th inning anthem at Fenway Park, where annual attendance easily tops two million folks?

Despite rumors, it has nothing to do with President John F. Kennedy's daughter.

Another story attributes a different Caroline as the inspiration. Legend has it that former Red Sox public address announcer Ed Brickley requested the song to be played as a tribute to the appropriately named newborn daughter of Billy Fitzpatrick, who worked in the Fenway Park control room for 20 years.

In reality, the song got its start at Fenway Park thanks to Amy Tobey, who was the ballpark’s music director from 1998 to 2004. She was responsible for choosing the music to be played between innings and picked Sweet Caroline simply because she had heard it played at other sporting events.

At first, Tobey played the song at random games sometime between the seventh and ninth innings, and only if the Red Sox were ahead. Tobey considered the song a good luck charm and it soon became something the fans anticipated.

But it wasn’t until 2002, when John Henry’s group bought the Red Sox, that Sweet Caroline become an official Fenway tradition. That’s when the new ownership requested that Tobey play the song during the eighth inning of every game.

Today Megan Kaiser is the person who chooses the between innings songs at Fenway Park, with the 8th inning exception.

Kaiser did add a slightly new touch to the playback of Diamond’s tune, as she turns off the sound during the most popular parts of the song. Red Sox fans know the words by heart now so they don’t need much help with the lyrics, and the song has become an important part of the ballpark atmosphere.

“Singing Sweet Caroline. That's cool,” said Red Sox third basemen Mike Lowell when asked about the vibe at Fenway Park.

How the song became so popular in the first place is another story, and no less than the songwriter himself is mystified at the success of Sweet Caroline. “No way to explain it. That's one of the mysteries of songwriting,” says Diamond, who has written and recorded 38 Top 40 hits in his career.

As hard as it is to explain, Neil Diamond’s catchy song has found a place as part of Red Sox Nation lore, and by mixing Sweet Caroline with the Fenway faithful good times have never seemed so good. "

 

[phanan]

Never mind. Carlos beat me to it.

 

[Hewson]

Despite rumors, it has nothing to do with President John F. Kennedy's daughter.

Looks like this info will need updating.

 

[Butterscotch]

See, this is why artist should rarely reveal certain inspirations...

Looking at a picture of innocence and "American Royalty" and using the words reaching out, touching, etc may have completely made sense to him in a very unsexual way, but many will never understand metaphor, or understand the mindset, but will always go for the lowest common denominator.

*This isn't aimed at the above poster.*

Oh sure, what heavy metaphors in a 3 minute pop song written in an hour.

I am not saying I was creeped, only that I can understand how some are. Personally I do not believe his story.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

See, this is why artist should rarely reveal certain inspirations...

Looking at a picture of innocence and "American Royalty" and using the words reaching out, touching, etc may have completely made sense to him in a very unsexual way, but many will never understand metaphor, or understand the mindset, but will always go for the lowest common denominator.

*This isn't aimed at the above poster.*

. I understand where the creepiness factor comes in for people, yes, but I highly doubt he meant it that way. Inspiration can be the result of a mixture of things-that picture just merely helped get the ball rolling.

You're right with the very first part of your post, too-precisely why many artists prefer to leave things open to interpretation. I do like hearing the stories behind artists' work sometimes, though, it can be interesting.

Angela

 

[joyfulgirl]

Looking at a picture of innocence and "American Royalty" and using the words reaching out, touching, etc may have completely made sense to him in a very unsexual way

It makes sense to me in an unsexual way, too.

 

[LemonMelon]

But you know, I hate to sound like a drip and a skeptic, but I doubt this story is even true. Come on, he sees a pic of a girl on a horse, then several years later writes a song about it in an hour? I don't buy it. He probably just said this now to impress her or get attention or something.

Logic and reason goes out the window with a song as awesome as Sweet Caroline.

If you let your mind stay in the gutter though, it's pretty creepy now.