Crazy Caroline Looped

Okay, I’m not sure how best to explain this, but I’ll try. We were out to dinner the other month with my brother’s family, and the food was taking forever and a day to be served, that by the time we were done eating my brother was like I CAN’T SIT HERE ANYMORE, I’M GOING HOME. And my sister-in-law was like I’M STAYING FOR DESSERT. And of course, my daughter said ME TOO!! So my brother and went home. This left myself, husband, daughter, and Red at the table.

As soon as he walked out the door, Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline came over the sound system. And I tried to restrain myself, but couldn’t and soon the whole table was singing along. Then Red says YOUR BROTHER LOVES THIS SONG!

What? My brother? Loves Neil Diamond???? Clearly this was news to me.

YEP she nodded HE SINGS THIS SONG AT KARAOKE.

Who are we talking about here? My brother? LOVES Neil Diamond AND sings Sweet Caroline at karaoke??

How do I not know this? I grew up with him. I work with him every day. And yet, I do not know about Caroline. I must really suck as a sister, or (and I like this option better), he’s leading a secret underground life where he works during the day in a tool shop, and then wears capes and sings under an alias at the karaoke bar at night. Maybe that’s why he’s been looking so tired lately?

So a couple weeks go by, and my husband and I are at Zoe’s YMCA Camp Friday afternoon skit. The comedy camp is performing an American Idol-esque show; what are they singing? What’s the first song? Sweet Caroline.

And that’s when I totally lost it. And folks, let me tell you this, once I start laughing I cannot stop. I couldn’t help but imagine my brother up there, mic in hand, swooning the crowd of YMCA Day Camp parents with Sweet Caroline. Hilarious!

Not being able to get the song out of my head, I searched for it on iTunes, and found that Sweet Caroline has been performed by quite a few artists throughout the years, and that’s when I got this crazy idea to make a CD for my brother. The playlist is as follows:

• Sweet Caroline, sung by Neil Diamond
• Sweet Caroline, sung by the Dave Matthews Band
• Sweet Caroline, sung by Freddie MacGregor, reggae style
• Sweet Caroline, sung by Waylon Jennings, country style
• Sweet Caroline, performed by Valentin Movtosky, accordian style
• Sweet Caroline, sung by Julio Iglesias, in Spanish of course
• Sweet Caroline, sung by The Railbenders, a cross between rock and country
• Sweet Caroline, sung by Elvis Presley, live from Las Vegas 2/16/1970

My husband was a little hesitant at first when I told him I was making the CD, he just doesn’t get my family’s humor. I kept telling him I’M MAKING IT BECAUSE IT’LL BE FUNNY! Yeah, he totally sings along to it now. EIGHT TIMES IN A ROW.

Turns out not only is it funny, it’s a big hit too. It’s on non-stop, and when it isn’t on, people are humming it.

So, if you love Sweet Caroline, or even just a little bit like it, I encourage you to give the playlist a try. You’ll totally forget you’re listening to the same song over and over again, the styles are so different. My favorite version so far is Waylon Jennings, his voice is like butter.