Neil Diamond was inspired to write his 4- year  old still going strong (sorry) “Sweet Caroline” when he was a very young songwriter during the John F. Kennedy Administration.  Neil saw a picture of Caroline looking “sweet and innocent” in some photos he saw in a magazine in 1962.

It’s a tricky cross-over song.  As in: sure, it’s part kitsch, a la Barry Manilow, another Brooklyn musician of supposed Hebraic background.  So how has it stayed around?  Socially, because the Irish descended Americans love it so much – and at Red Sox games, it became a fan favorite.  Yes, it has a smooth vamp and maintains a groove that still is catchy.  At the same time, Neil teases the listener and even singer, hence the song as a great sing-along by SYNCOPATING each verse.  During the verses, Neil continuously comes in on the “2″ or “3″ where most songs see the main melody notes on “1.”  Sure  enough, by the first chorus where we all sing SWEET CAROLINE!, it is the first of only two bars where there is a strong entrance on the ONE .  That is usually fun.

On top of that, the song is played at the speed of victory according to the Newman tempo Scale introduced by the meanspeed® music school.

BEATS PER MINUTE ANALYSIS - SWEET CAROLINE - 9 trials - time velocity calibration by the meanspeed music school

Neil Diamond - SWEET CAROLINE - tempo graphic by the meanspeed music school

Meanspeed-Specer Summary

song title=Sweet Caroline

composer=NEIL DIAMOND

performer=Neil Diamond

mean speed=127.0 beats per minute

average beat=0.479 seconds

/Ian Andrew Schneider/

meanspeed® music school