As football on the pitch takes shape, the one job fans have is to bring the atmosphere. It creates a scenario which makes the sport so special, as the COVID-19 lockdown, which forced people to watch from home, showed. Whether it’s chanting in support of their team, complaining about refereeing decisions or sending insults to the opposition, English fan culture is famous around the world for being simply incredible.
English fans typically despise one another during the domestic season, with clashes and club rivalries taking priority. However, once the major club trophies are won and summer begins, that changes. The country unites, the beer gardens fill up and every English person believes they can win a major tournament.
When England are performing well, the mood in the country is noticeably stronger, as people walk around with a stride in their step. Nothing symbolises that more than the chants they sing across the nation during major tournaments. Sweet Caroline is one of those songs, although the history and origin behind its use in football is not well-known. Due to this, we have outlined how one of the greatest English chants became common across the nation.
Origin of Sweet Caroline
Sweet Caroline was a single written in 1969 by artist Neil Diamond. The 83-year-old is now known for singing one of the most well-known songs of all time, yet the origin behind it is unique. The song was first intended for his then-wife, Marcia Murphy, but the name didn’t fit the rhythm of the tune, so he went with Caroline instead.
According to the man himself, this was for the daughter of former President John F Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy. It’s not a classic love story to simply change the name to fit it into a song, but it proved to be the greatest decision Diamond would ever make.
Over the years, it has performed strongly in the rankings, highlighting its success around the world. In March 1971, it reached No.8 in the UK Singles Chart, whilst it also ranked successfully in the USA charts two years prior. However, it’s the song’s renaissance in recent years which has taken everyone by shock. In July 2021, it re-entered the UK Singles Chart again, 50 years after its first UK release, following its use by England supporters during Euro 2020.
It re-entered the chart at No.48 on the week ending on 15th July and a week later it rose to No.20. Meanwhile, to forever remember its legacy, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2019 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Alongside this, in 2020, the song by Neil Diamond was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Sweet Caroline Lyrics
Where it began, I can’t begin to know when,
But then I know it’s growing strong,
And spring became the summer,
Who’d have believed you’d come along,
Reaching out, touching me, touching you,
Good times never seemed so good,
To believe they never would,
Look at the night and it don’t seem so lonely,
We filled it up with only two,
Hurting runs off my shoulders,
How can I hurt when holding you,
Reaching out, touching me, touching you,
Good times never seemed so good,
To believe they never would,
Good times never seemed so good,
I believe they never could,
Good times never seemed so good.
When Sweet Caroline Started Playing at Sporting Events
Despite it coming out in 1969, it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the song started to become popular at major sporting events. On the eve of the 2000s, the Boston Red Sox played the song for an employee who just had a baby named Caroline. It’s one of the most unique stories there is, but the baseball team thought it was good luck, so from 2003, it was played every week. Diamond himself has led the Fenway Park crowd through several iterations of the song over the years.
English fan culture is naturally very different to America’s, but it did eventually pick up at stadiums around the country. Northern Ireland have played it at every home match since 2005 after beating England, whilst clubs such as Arsenal, Aston Villa and Reading have all used it – some more briefly than others – over the years.
As its popularity grew, it was easy to see why it was becoming more common, as Paul Carr, a professor in popular music analysis at the University of South Wales, highlighted when talking about what makes a great tournament anthem. “The big thing is the simplicity of the melody, and there’s something in the lyrics. The song’s lyrics include the phrases “Good times never felt so good” and “Reaching out, touching me, touching you”, before the build-up to the chorus and the words “Sweet Caroline, ba, ba, baa!”
When England Fans Started Using it
England fans started truly signing Sweet Caroline at international matches during Euro 2020. Taking place a year late due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, it created the backdrop for an iconic and well-loved song to be belted at full tune by the nation. The Three Lions beat bitter rivals Germany 2-0 in the Round of 16, thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane, to avenge the horrors of Euro 96. It is considered one of England’s greatest Euros wins. There was bedlam in the crowd, a sense of belief had been built from the south coast to the Lake District — and Sweet Caroline epitomises this.
As the celebrations started, Wembley DJ Tony Parry decided to play Sweet Caroline over Vindaloo. Taking advantage of the chaotic scenes, the change paid off, as everyone in attendance started to sing the song at the top of their lungs. Kane, one of the greatest English players of all time, was visibly moved by the song after the match. This continued all night long — and occurred once again following England’s semi-final victory against Denmark.
Even manager Gareth Southgate knew the significance of the song at the time, as he highlighted during his post-match interview. “To be able to send them home feeling as they do tonight, to hear them at the end…
“You can’t beat a bit of ‘Sweet Caroline’, can you? That’s a belter, really.”
The song’s rise throughout English culture symbolised the past year for everyone in the country. People had been stuck in their homes due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, were unable to do what they loved, and felt a sense of worthlessness. They weren’t living; they were purely surviving. However, Euro 2020 showcased the end of lockdown — and the start of life once again. “Good times never seemed so good,” Sweet Caroline sings; that couldn’t be more meaningful once you realise people had forgotten what it was like to celebrate due to lockdown.
In the following years, it has been played at countless major events involving the English national team. When the nation won the Women’s Euros in 2022, it was used once again, creating a chorus of unity as the heroes in white created history. It’s a song everyone knows the words to, which only helps the players and fans feel connected when it is blasted at full volume.
Other Classic England Songs
England are well-known for using several iconic songs during football matches. Most famously, they even created a song in 1996 to celebrate “football coming home” at the tournament. Sung by comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, alongside the rock band The Lightning Seeds, it highlighted that England were hosting a major tournament for the first time since 1966.
However, since then, it has been used by the nation to believe, sometimes sarcastically, that they will win the upcoming major tournament. It’s been used consistently in recent years, with it being described as the anthem of the nation. It’s not the only song to be used though, with the Atomic Kittens’ ‘Whole Again’ song, which was released in 2001, hijacked by England fans since the 2018 World Cup. “Southgate, you’re the one, you still turn me on, football’s coming home again,” the lyrics were changed to — and it has become another popular hit in beer gardens around the country.