GUELYLANDSONG #14 "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond

Frankly I don't remember when was the first time I heard this song. As everybody else I just enjoy it and recognize it. But it touched me deeper and became a favorite when i heard the "karaoke version" (when characters in a  movie sing a song as you will sing it normally in  any place without being a real singer, at work or in a bar) in that favorite cult film of mine "Beautiful Girls" (Ted Demme, 1996).
 Here's the scene and see what i mean:



But  the real thing, the original one, was penned, performed and released  by the 1941 born, newyorker descended of russian and polish inmigrants, Neil Leslie Diamond, first as a single in 1969 and later as a track of the live double album "Hot August Night" in 1972. It's been covered later, among others, by no less then Elvis an Sinatra.



SWEET CAROLINE (Neil Diamond)
Where it began, I can't begin to know when
But then I know it's growing strong
Oh, wasn't the spring, whooo
And spring became the summer
Who'd believe you'd come along

Hands, touching hands, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
I've been inclined to believe it never would

And now I, I look at the night, whooo
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two, oh
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulder
How can I hurt when holding you

Oh, one, touching one, reaching out
Touching me, touching you
Oh, sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good
Oh I've been inclined to believe it never would

Ohhh, sweet Caroline, good times never seem so good

Other of my favorite "karaoke moments" (not real karaokes, as i told you before) can be found in The Deer Hunter (Cimino,1978) and Mad Dog and Glory (John McNaughton,1993).