First let’s get a couple of things straight. I have no issue with Neil Diamond per se. Far from it.
I like his stuff more than most people do. I like it to an extent that some might even consider uncool. I don’t even dislike the song Sweet Caroline .
Or rather, I didn’t dislike it before. My beef – and it’s a very intense beef – has to do with the grotesque overplaying of Sweet Caroline in public places. Fans hold a “Sweet Caroline” sign during the eighth inning stretch of the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 25, 2024 in Boston.
Credit: Getty You can’t get away from it. When you go to the football, they play it at half time, so loud that you can’t conduct a conversation with the person beside you. During the chorus, the DJ (and who decided we need DJs at football games?) whips down the volume after Neil sings the titular phrase, so that assorted enthusiasts in the crowd (who are these people?) can sing the missing horn part ( bom , bom , bom ).
Then the volume goes back up, so Neil can sing the next bit: “Good times never seemed so good.” Then the volume goes down again, so the people who are still enjoying themselves (again, who are these people?) can interpolate the words “So good, so good!” Nor can you evade the song by staying home and watching the match on TV. You’ll still hear it in the background, blaring impertinently over the PA.
If you switch channels, you’ll probably find yourself watchi.
