For those of you who feel like it’s still March of 2020, we have an actual video from that month that you may have missed.

Or, in light of everything that’s happened since then, you may have just forgotten about it.

If you’re a fan of singing along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” you should know he’s updated the lyrics. But don’t worry he’s didn’t replace the “Ba ba BA.”

Sweet quarantine

There’s nothing sweet about the COVID-19 pandemic or the lengths we’ve had to go to in order to try to quash it. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay mired in misery until the last case is eradicated. After all, if you make time to laugh, it can be good for your health.

Diamond knew this back in March when he came out with a PSA to the tune of his classic hit.

“Hi everybody, this is Neil Diamond, and I know we’re going through a rough time right now, but I love ya, and I think maybe if we sing together, well, we’ll just feel a little bit better. Give it a try okay?,” he begins as he sits by the fireplace with an acoustic guitar and his dog.

And the best part? The very first verse. Can you spot the changes?

“Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing,
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?”

No? That’s because there are none. It turns out those fit just fine when describing a deadly virus.

Healing through song

In December 2020, Diamond hosted a virtual, worldwide sing-a-long of “Sweet Caroline” (the original).

“2020 has been a tough year for everyone,” the video introduction reads. “So, we wanted to bring people together [in] the best way we knew how: Through music to inspire people to come together. We challenged fans all around the world to sing along to ‘Sweet Caroline.’”

Since over half a million have viewed that video since it debuted on December 21, the new lyrics he put out in March began making the rounds again on social media. You know, just in case you want to host your own updated sing-a-long.

It’s hard to see that’s the living legend at first in the video. With a hat on, in dim light, it just doesn’t look like Neil Diamond. And then he starts singing.

“When he talks at the beginning, he sounds like a regular guy. When he starts singing, he IS NEIL DIAMOND! Great video!” said a commenter.

The only person who didn’t get into it was the dog.

No more touching hands

So, if we’re not mistaken, the next lyrics would be

“Hands, touching hands
Reaching out, touching me, touching you”

Not very conducive to the current situation, right? So he changed them to:

“Hands, washing hands
Reaching out, don’t touch me
I won’t touch you.”

Going viral

In about 24 hours, the video received more than 10 million views on Diamond’s Facebook page alone. Now, it’s been posted by various sources across every platform.

Of course, as much as we’d like to believe that people would listen to Neil Diamond, the spread of the virus has gotten progressively worse since March of 2020.

Be sure to scroll down below to hear Diamond’s “new” version of his classic song.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: YouTube – CBS News, PEOPLE