# Diamond reveals "Sweet Caroline" inpiration **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217 "2007-11-20T19:16:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/1 "2007-11-20T19:16:10Z")
and the answer to this great mystery is… _drumroll_ **Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg** > [@](#): > > Diamond was a “young, broke songwriter” when a photo of the president’s daughter in a news magazine caught his eye. > > “It was a picture of a little girl dressed to the nines in her riding gear, next to her pony,” Diamond recalled. “It was such an innocent, wonderful picture, I immediately felt there was a song in there.” > > Years later, holed up in a hotel in Memphis, he would write the words and music in less an hour. Here’s a [link to the article](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21898988/)… and sorry in advance for the earworm. Ok, **Carly Simon** … we’re waiting… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/2 "2007-11-20T19:20:58Z")
That’s perfect for Red Sox Nation. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/3 "2007-11-20T19:23:37Z")
The lyrics always struck me as more indicative of a “mature relationship.” _Warm, touchin warm_ I’m sure there’s a good explanation for that… ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/4 "2007-11-20T19:26:06Z")
In other news, Marilyn Monroe was the inspiration for “Candle in the Wind.” ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/5 "2007-11-20T19:27:55Z")
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, I’ll bet you think this song is about you. Don’t you? Don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/6 "2007-11-20T19:28:10Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] The lyrics always struck me as more indicative of a “mature relationship.” _Warm, touchin warm_ I’m sure there’s a good explanation for that… [/QUOTE] I was going to say, Caroline was born in November 1957, the song came out in 1972, so she’d be 14 or 15. Well, I guess he was a musician, and those were the 70’s… ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/7 "2007-11-20T19:29:03Z")
_Heartlight_ was about E.T. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/8 "2007-11-20T19:58:23Z")
[Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Caroline) says > [@](#): > > In an 2007 interview, Diamond revealed after many decades that the inspiration for “Sweet Caroline” was former President John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, of whom he saw a photo of in a news magazine. She had the song sung to her by Diamond at her 50th birthday party that year.[2] But her 50th birthday won’t be for another seven days…what gives? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/9 "2007-11-20T23:54:12Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] I was going to say, Caroline was born in November 1957, the song came out in 1972, so she’d be 14 or 15. Well, I guess he was a musician, and those were the 70’s… [/QUOTE] “Sweet Caroline” came out in 1969, so Caroline Kennedy was just 12. Which makes it even creepier. I’ll never listen to the song in quite the same way again. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/10 "2007-11-20T23:59:09Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] “Sweet Caroline” came out in 1969, so Caroline Kennedy was just 12. [/QUOTE] “Girl, you’ll be a woman soon” ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/11 "2007-11-21T00:04:11Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] The lyrics always struck me as more indicative of a “mature relationship.” _Warm, touchin warm_ I’m sure there’s a good explanation for that… [/QUOTE] She’s standing next to her pony? Her hand is warm, the pony is warm? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/12 "2007-11-21T00:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] [Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Caroline) says But her 50th birthday won’t be for another seven days…what gives? [/QUOTE] She probably just had the party early. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/13 "2007-11-21T02:54:47Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] She probably just had the party early. [/QUOTE] And just _what_ would cause someone to grow up with such a sense of entitlement? What did something really, really bad happen when she was little to make her think that now she can just have her birthday parties wheneverthehell she likes? Whut? ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/14 "2007-11-21T06:15:40Z")
[QUOTE=HelloNinja] and sorry in advance for the earworm. [/QUOTE] Dude, “sorry” doesn’t quite pay the freight. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/15 "2007-11-21T06:45:26Z")
[QUOTE=DocCathode] “Girl, you’ll be a woman soon” [/QUOTE] “Oh Clair” CMC +fnord! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/16 "2007-11-21T12:30:33Z")
Might it be [this picture](http://www.jfklibrary.org/NR/rdonlyres/3F1C5AC6-8B59-477B-8520-8929B950A0EF/19821/ST49816218NOV1962.jpg)? There are a few around of her with horses, but none in her riding gear. This is taken in 1962, when she was just 5. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-reveals-sweet-caroline-inpiration/427217/17 "2007-11-21T12:38:07Z")
He should have written a song about the Kennedy who got a lobotomy because she was a lesbian. Maybe he could have worked E.T. into that one, too.