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Sweet Caroline Lyrics: The New Reading FC Anthem

Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline is once again being trialled as Reading FC's anthem. We're sure you already know the lyrics but just in case here they are:

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

You all know the story by now. At the beginning of the season the club gave fans the chance to vote for a new club anthem. A similar attempt back in 2005 was such a success that the winning song, 500 Miles by The Proclaimers, stopped being played barely a month after being chosen.

At least this time Ashes was still being played into the new year. It didn't work though. Whatever you think of Embrace and their song, it is clearly not a football anthem. Neither, despite its name, is The Royals Anthem, though that should always be played before games at, to quote the song, "2:45 [when] the place [is] alive!"

So the club have gone back to Neil Diamond's classic Sweet Caroline after Reading fans witnessed Bradford's impressive Midland Road anthem and decided they'd quite like their own song. At least Sweet Caroline has a genuine link to the club: our most successful team's karaoke anthem!

Following the Boston Red Sox

The Royals are not the first sports team to adopt Sweet Caroline though. The Boston Red Sox have played Diamond's song at Fenway Park since 1997. As part of their tradition their fans shout "so good" three times after the line "good times never seemed so good".

If you listen to the video below of Diamond performing his song before a Red Sox game it sounds quite impressive. I'd love to hear Reading fans doing the same at the Madejski Stadium but maybe we'll find our own way to make it our song.

However we sing it, the more who join in the better it will sound. So watch the video below (the lyrics Diamond sings are slightly different from the official ones below) and get practising! Hands, touchin' hands...

-

Where it began,

I can't begin to knowin'

But then I know it's growing strong

-

Was in the spring

And spring became the summer

Who'd have believed you'd come along.

-

Hands, touchin' hands

Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you

-

SWEET CAROLINE

OH OH OH

Good times never seemed so good

I've been inclined

OH OH OH

To believe they never would

But now I...

-

...look at the night

And it don't seem so lonely

We fill it up with only two.

-

And when I hurt,

Hurtin' runs off my shoulders

How can I hurt when holding you?

-

Warm, touchin' warm

Reachin' out, touchin' me, touchin' you

-

SWEET CAROLINE

OH OH OH

Good times never seemed so good

I've been inclined,

OH OH OH

To believe they never would

Oh, no, no

-

SWEET CAROLINE

OH OH OH

Good times never seemed so good

SWEET CAROLINE

OH OH OH

I believe they never could

SWEET CAROLINE

OH OH OH

Good times never seemed so good

Sweet Caroline...

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Read BucksRoyal's view on why it's time to get behind a Reading club anthem: Sweet Caroline: Make It Happen