Sweet Caroline will be ringing around the Euro 2024 final later today as England fans bellow out the beloved anthem.
But many won’t be aware of the true meaning behind Neil Diamond’s classic hit. The legendary singer penned the classic in 1969, claiming it took just under half an hour to write.
A number of stories about the song’s meaning have surfaced over the years, with many fans believing it was written about Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former US President JFK Kennedy. But speaking to the Today show in 2014, Diamond revealed it was about his ex-wife Marcia Murphey.
However, he says he needed a three syllable name to fit the melody. It was then he stumbled upon the name Caroline Kennedy.
He explained: “It’s actually about my former wife Marcia. But I couldn’t get Marcia into the three syllable name that I needed and so I had Caroline Kennedy’s name there from years ago in one of my books and I tried sweet Caroline.
“That worked, it didn’t work with Marcia so I couldn’t tell her that I dedicated the song to her.”
The couple married in 1969, staying together until the mid 1990s. They share two sons together. Murphey was Diamond’s second wife, after he married his high-school sweetheart, Jaye Posner. The pair split after four years of marriage. He married third wife Katie McNeil in 2012.
Diamond, 83, went on to explain the writing process as “some kind of magic”. He added: “It was very unexpected, it was last minute, the whole thing took about a half-hour. It took about a half-hour to write it.”
Nick Fradiani will play the title role in the national tour of A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical. The announcement was made on the May 19 season finale of American Idol, on which Fradiani performed a medley of classic Neil Diamond tunes, including “Sweet Caroline.”
The American Idol winner is currently starring as Neil Diamond – Then in the show at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, which will play its final performance on June 30.
The national tour will kick off at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) in Providence, RI in September. The tour will then go on to play more than 25 cities in its first year.
“Some of my most thrilling nights have been while I was on tour, bringing my music to audiences across the world,” said Neil Diamond in a statement.
“Having A Beautiful Noise go on tour is an honor and I can’t wait for audiences across North America to experience this show. I hope they enjoy it as much as I have.”
Fradiani released his debut album Hurricane in 2016. He made his national tour debut in A Bronx Tale and his Broadway debut in A Beautiful Noise, taking over the role of Neil Diamond – Then in October 2023.
The show tells the story of the rise of Neil Diamond—the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter behind “Sweet Caroline,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “Red Red Wine” and “I’m a Believer”—from contract songwriter to sequin-studded superstar.
Set to the songs that defined Diamond’s career, it is directed by Michael Mayer, with a book by Anthony McCarten.
A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical features choreography by Steven Hoggett, scenic design by David Rockwell, costumes by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Kevin Adams, sound design by Jessica Paz,
orchestrations by Bob Gaudio, Sonny Paladino and Brian Usifer and music supervision and arrangements by Paladino. The show’s national tour will launch this fall in Providence, Rhode Island.