Reason why England sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” at games
We all know there is no need for a cause to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” — the song is simply that fantastic — but that hasn’t prevented people from asking why this particular song is played during English football (erm, soccer?) games.
After all, Neil is an American musician who debuted the song back in 1969. So, why do you hear it at English matches nowadays?
Why does England sing “Sweet Caroline” at games?
The music would sometimes appear at Fenway during the next few years before becoming a staple in 2002, courtesy to the new executive VP for public relations, Dr. Charles Steinburg, who believed the song had “transformative powers,” according to the Berkeley Beacon. It would go on to play before the eighth inning of every Red Sox game, before the team came out to bat.
According to the BBC, the song originally became popular as an English football anthem when Arsenal played it after their 2017 FA Cup semi-final triumph, and it has since been played at a variety of English sporting events, including boxing and rugby. It has also become a favorite song among Aston Villa supporters in particular.
“Well, I hope you can do it again — here’s to England,” added the president.
You have to admit, “Sweet Caroline” is the perfect tune to put everyone in a good mood. Neil originally composed the song about his wife, Marcia, but changed the name to Caroline since it sounded better with the tune. Apparently, his inspiration came from viewing a magazine cover featuring JFK’s daughter Caroline Kennedy. The rest was history.
