Sweet Caroline? Who knew?
Who knew that the Brits regard Sweet Caroline as an unofficial anthem (according to a news story about the Platinum Jubilee)? How did that come to be?
Top | Newest First | Oldest First
ElwoodBlues · M
For what it's worth, Sweet Caroline has been the unofficial anthem of the Red Sox baseball team for over two decades now.
During a 1997 game at Fenway, Amy Tobey, an employee in charge of ballpark music during the season, played "Sweet Caroline" because someone she knew had just had a baby named Caroline. For the next few years, the song would be played on select occasions at the ballpark.
. . .
"I said, 'I think the song may have transformative powers and it may be able to lift the melancholy crowd and lift the spirits to being positive.' We were talking about change in an organization that didn't have any change," Steinberg recalled. "I said, 'Let's do it.' Sometimes they were playing at the end of seven. Sometimes they were playing at the end of eight. Sometimes they were playing at the middle of the eighth. I wanted it to be the middle of the eighth, because you want your more festive songs to occur when the home team is coming up to bat. So we started playing it each day in 2002."
https://www.mlb.com/news/sweet-caroline-red-sox-fenway-park-history. . .
"I said, 'I think the song may have transformative powers and it may be able to lift the melancholy crowd and lift the spirits to being positive.' We were talking about change in an organization that didn't have any change," Steinberg recalled. "I said, 'Let's do it.' Sometimes they were playing at the end of seven. Sometimes they were playing at the end of eight. Sometimes they were playing at the middle of the eighth. I wanted it to be the middle of the eighth, because you want your more festive songs to occur when the home team is coming up to bat. So we started playing it each day in 2002."
Poppies · 61-69, F
@ElwoodBlues Very interesting!
Slade · 56-60, M
@ElwoodBlues I just can't get by the creepy genesis of the song. Even though I am a Sox fan
TheThinker · 56-60, M
It didn't. God knows where that news story got that from. It's quite a popular tune, yes, but never heard of it referred to as an unofficial anthem.
I think that most Brits, if asked to pick an unofficial national anthem, would pick Jerusalem, or possibly, as @helenS says, Rule Britannia, although a lot of us don't like that due to the rather arrogant lyrics.
I think that most Brits, if asked to pick an unofficial national anthem, would pick Jerusalem, or possibly, as @helenS says, Rule Britannia, although a lot of us don't like that due to the rather arrogant lyrics.
View 1 more replies »
TheThinker · 56-60, M
@Poppies I'm guessing you mean this story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61562773
which just goes to show how out of touch I am with this Jubilee business!
I notice that links to this story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57761227 which explains how it's become a football (soccer) anthem, so that might well answer your original question. :-)
That's far more believable, and explains why I had no idea about it, as I don't follow football.
which just goes to show how out of touch I am with this Jubilee business!
I notice that links to this story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57761227 which explains how it's become a football (soccer) anthem, so that might well answer your original question. :-)
That's far more believable, and explains why I had no idea about it, as I don't follow football.
bijouxbroussard · F
@Entwistle Succinct, as usual. 😅
Entwistle · 56-60, M
@bijouxbroussard Its also true. Lol
TheThinker · 56-60, M
@Slade According to https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-61562773
Diamond wrote the hit for his second wife Marcia Murphey in 1969.
However, he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody ("Sweet Marcia" didn't work), and settled on the name Caroline after seeing a picture of John F Kennedy's daughter Caroline in a US magazine.
However, he needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody ("Sweet Marcia" didn't work), and settled on the name Caroline after seeing a picture of John F Kennedy's daughter Caroline in a US magazine.
ElwoodBlues · M
@Slade Maybe and maybe not.
Who wrote 'Sweet Caroline'?
Like most Neil Diamond songs, he wrote the song, and It was first released in 1969 under the title 'Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)'.
What is 'Sweet Caroline' about?
Neil Diamond wrote the song about his second wife, Marcia Murphey, who he married in 1969 (they divorced in 1995).
However, He needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody, so 'Sweet Marcia' didn't work.
The name Caroline is one he had written down, and it fit the song perfectly.
. . .
It was inspired by John F Kennedy's daughter Caroline
There had also been longtime speculation that the song was about Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the American president JFK.
Diamond has said that Caroline gave him the idea for the name, but had nothing to do with the song's inspiration.
However, in 2007, Diamond performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy's 50th birthday party, and said that the song was about her, after seeing a photo of her at the time.
Neil later said: "I've never discussed it with anybody before - intentionally. I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday. 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. It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony. It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there."
https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/sweet-caroline-neil-diamond-lyrics-meaning-facts/Like most Neil Diamond songs, he wrote the song, and It was first released in 1969 under the title 'Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)'.
What is 'Sweet Caroline' about?
Neil Diamond wrote the song about his second wife, Marcia Murphey, who he married in 1969 (they divorced in 1995).
However, He needed a three-syllable name to fit the melody, so 'Sweet Marcia' didn't work.
The name Caroline is one he had written down, and it fit the song perfectly.
. . .
It was inspired by John F Kennedy's daughter Caroline
There had also been longtime speculation that the song was about Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the American president JFK.
Diamond has said that Caroline gave him the idea for the name, but had nothing to do with the song's inspiration.
However, in 2007, Diamond performed the song via satellite at Caroline Kennedy's 50th birthday party, and said that the song was about her, after seeing a photo of her at the time.
Neil later said: "I've never discussed it with anybody before - intentionally. I thought maybe I would tell it to Caroline when I met her someday. 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. It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony. It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there."
TheSirfurryanimalWales · 61-69, M
@TheSirfurryanimalWales Sounds about right...
Heartlander · 80-89, M
SageWanderer · 70-79, M
I heard Rod Stewart sing it last night then found out the back story today. Enjoyable evening of music and entertainment for regular TV.
As a child... Hooty always thought that "Land of Hope And Glory" was the national anthem.
At least that was one song that was sang in schools.
At least that was one song that was sang in schools.
Poppies · 61-69, F
I thought it was the unofficial anthem of Lifestyle clubs in the US. Don't ask how I got that idea in my head.
Rhode57 · 56-60, M
Really since when I have never heard that .
firefall · 61-69, M
that beeping sound is the bullshit detector going off again
RedBaron · M
I thought it was a Red Sox-Fenway Park thing.
Slade · 56-60, M
Now it's AC/DC - more like it!
Justenjoyit · 61-69, M