Neil Diamond is the latest musician to give one of his greatest hits an update in the age of the Coronavirus.
Late Saturday night (March 21), Diamond (and his extremely nosy pup) cozied up to his fireplace at home with an acoustic guitar. “I know we’re going through a rough time right now, but I love ya,” he said. “I think, maybe if we sing together, well, we’ll just feel a little bit better. Give it a try, okay?”
He then led a fireside digital sing-along of his 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline,” but those beloved lyrics got a new twist encouraging safety precautions and social distancing. Instead of “hands, touching hands,” Diamond sang “hands, washing hands,” and “reaching out / Touching me, touching you” then became “reaching out / Don’t touch me, I won’t touch you.”
One refrain stayed the same, though: “Good times never seemed so good.” Indeed.
Watch Diamond’s updated acoustic version of “Sweet Caroline” below.
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