Watch Neil Diamond update 'Sweet Caroline' lyrics to be about social distancing
Neil Diamond's classic song "Sweet Caroline" is a perennial karaoke favorite, and now people can perform an updated version in their next virtual Zoom party.
The singer shared a video via Twitter on Saturday of his coronavirus edition of the famous 1969 tune.
“I know we’re going through a rough time right now, but I love ya, and I think maybe if we sing together, we’ll feel just a little bit better,” Diamond said before breaking out his guitar for an acoustic performance of “Sweet Caroline” (featuring a cameo from his cute dog).
Stay safe out there! “Hands... washing hands..” 🎶 pic.twitter.com/QaRB1qZshp
— Neil Diamond (@NeilDiamond) March 22, 2020
The song's original pre-chorus goes, "Hands, touching hands /Reaching out, touching me, touching you." In his video, Diamond cheekily changed that to “Hands, washing hands / Reaching out, don’t touch me, I won’t touch you.”
The clip has since notched over 2.6 million views, with 77,000 likes and counting.
Diamond joined a litany of celebrities who have used music to entertain and educate fans on proper hygiene techniques to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In a recent video, singer JoJo changed the title of her hit 2004 track "Leave (Get Out)" to "Chill (Stay in)" with new lyrics encouraging people to self-quarantine. Gloria Gaynor demonstrated the CDC's recommended handwashing routine using her iconic 1978 song "I Will Survive."
And just this weekend, Rita Wilson showed us that she's doing fine — albeit going a little "stir crazy" — during quarantine after she and husband Tom Hanks were diagnosed with coronavirus. On Instagram, she posted a video of herself nailing the entirety of Naughty by Nature's "Hip Hop Hooray."
"See it to believe it," Wilson captioned the clip.
For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.
Related content:
