Neil Diamond’s “Candy Caroline” could possibly be heard throughout England following the Lionesses’s success on the Euro 2022 last.
Lately, the tune has been adopted as an unofficial anthem of the nation’s sporting success, most not too long ago making an look after England’s girls’s staff beat Germany 2-1 at Sunday (31 July) evening’s last.
The competitors marked the primary time both England staff had received a serious event since 1966, with “Candy Caroline” being sung all through.
Diamond’s monitor was first launched in 1969 below the title “Candy Caroline (Good Instances By no means Appeared So Good)”.
Whereas the monitor could have taken on new which means in a sporting context, its inspiration initially remained hidden for a few years.
Nevertheless, in 2007, Diamond mentioned that he wrote the tune for John F Kennedy’s daughter Caroline, who was 11 years outdated on the time the tune was launched.
The inspiration was a photograph of Caroline that Diamond noticed in {a magazine} whereas he was staying in a Memphis resort.
“I’ve by no means mentioned it with anyone earlier than – deliberately,” Diamond mentioned. “I assumed possibly I’d inform it to Caroline once I met her sometime.
“It was an image of somewhat lady dressed to the nines in her driving gear, subsequent to her pony. It was such an harmless, great image, I instantly felt there was a tune in there.”
Diamond lastly let identified the tune’s topic after performing the monitor at her fiftieth birthday.
“It was a No 1 file and doubtless is the most important, most necessary tune of my profession, and I’ve to thank her for the inspiration,” he mentioned.
“I am pleased to have gotten it off my chest and to have expressed it to Caroline. I assumed she is likely to be embarrassed, however she gave the impression to be struck by it and actually, actually pleased.”
Diamond later mentioned in a 2014 interview that he truly selected Caroline whereas trying to find a three-syllable title to slot in a tune he’d written about his Marcia, his spouse from 1969 to 1996.
Caroline now works as a global ambassador, in July taking over the place of the US ambassador to Australia below Joe Biden’s administration.
She beforehand was the US ambassador to Japan below Barack Obama.