If you’ve ever been to a Red Sox game, you’ve heard “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond played in the middle of the 8th inning over the Fenway sound system.
Well for over 40 years, Diamond has never spoken to anyone about who the inspiration for the song was. There had been rumors that is was about President John F. Kennedy’s daughter Caroline but those rumors were rebuffed. It turns out, those rumors were true.
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.”
“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.”
The enduring hit recently reappeared on the singles chart, thanks in part to the Boston Red Sox. “Sweet Caroline” is played at every home game.
“I think they consider it good luck,” Diamond said, adding that the Red Sox have become his favorite baseball team.
So when you’re singing the song at the Fens, now you will know the inspiration for the song.
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