Chords + Lyrics | Sweet Caroline
Intro
||: F#11 :|| x7
Verse 1
| B | B | E | E |
Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing.
| B | B | F# | F# |
But then I know it’s growing strong.
| B | B | E | E |
Was in the spring, and spring became the summer.
| B | B | F# | F# |
Who’d have believed you’d come along.
Bridge 1
| B | B | B6 | B6 |
Hands, touching hands.
| F# | F# | E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) |
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 1
| B | E (Emaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) |
Good times never seemed so good.
| B | E (Emaj7) |
I’ve been inclined.
| E | E | F# E | B/D# F#/C# |
To believe they never would, but now I.
Verse 2
Look at the night, and it don’t seem so lonely.
We filled it up with only two.
And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulders.
How can I hurt when holding you.
Bridge 2
One, touching one.
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 2
Sweet Caroline.
Good times never seemed so good.
I’ve been inclined.
To believe they never would, oh no, no.
Instrumental (re-intro)
||: F#11 :|| x7
Chorus 3
||: B | E (Emaj7) | E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) :||
Sweet Caroline. Good times never seemed so good.
Sweet Caroline. I believe they never could.
Sweet Caroline. Good times never seemed so good.
Sweet Caroline | Chords + Lyrics (capo 2)
Intro
||: D/E :|| x7
Verse 1
| A | A | D | D |
Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing.
| A | A | E | E |
But then I know it’s growing strong.
| A | A | D | D |
Was in the spring, and spring became the summer.
| A | A | E | E |
Who’d have believed you’d come along.
Bridge 1
| A | A | A6 | A6 |
Hands, touching hands.
| E | E | D | D | E | E (Esus4) |
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 1
| A | D (Dmaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| D | D | E | E (Esus4) |
Good times never seemed so good.
| A | D (Dmaj7) |
I’ve been inclined.
| D | D | E D | A/C# E/B |
To believe they never would, but now I.
Verse 2
Look at the night, and it don’t seem so lonely.
We filled it up with only two.
And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulders.
How can I hurt when holding you.
Bridge 2
One, touching one.
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 2
Sweet Caroline.
Good times never seemed so good.
I’ve been inclined.
To believe they never would, oh no, no.
Instrumental (re-intro)
||: D/E :|| x7
Chorus 3
||: A | D (Dmaj7) | D | D | E | E (Esus4) :||
Sweet Caroline. Good times never seemed so good.
Sweet Caroline. I believe they never could.
Sweet Caroline. Good times never seemed so good.
Sweet Caroline Chords: Master the Progressions with Extensions
It makes sense to place a capo on the second fret when playing Neil Diamond‘s Sweet Caroline. At one point, I considered using fret 4, thinking in the key of G, and also entertained the idea of playing in B with no capo. However, in the end, it’s likely best to play in the key of A with the capo on fret 2.
Above, I’ve written it in A, but I’ve also shown what it would look like without a capo, in the key of B.
Verse
The verse chords follow a simple I – IV – I – V progression, like this in the key of A:
||: A (I) | A | D (IV) | D |
| A | A | E (V) | E :||
Bridge
The bridge introduces a 6 chord, which stands out as the first extension. Here are the bridge chords for Sweet Caroline:
| A (I) | A | A6 | A6 |
| E (V) | E | D (IV) | D | E | E (Esus4) |
Chorus
The chorus is a bit more adventurous, incorporating maj7 and sus4 extensions. The descending chords in the final two bars add a nice touch:
| A (I) | D (IV) Dmaj7 | D | D | E (V) | E Esus4 |
| A | D Dmaj7 | D | D | E D | A/C# (/3) E/B (V/5) |
There’s TAB available for playing in the key of A, including horn lines into the comping. While some musicians may groan at the thought of playing Sweet Caroline, I find it to be great fun. To truly capture the spirit of the song, you need to go beyond simply strumming open-position chords.
Here’s a link to the TAB lesson: Sweet Caroline – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
After putting in the practice, this chord chart is all you need to bring to the gig.
Sweet Caroline Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Sweet Caroline chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Sweet Caroline iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key which is important in case you forgot the capo!
TAB | Course Preview
I actually really enjoy playing Sweet Caroline—but only because I took the time to really dig into it, transcribing and refining my parts in detail.
In the course, you get all my TAB. Here’s a preview: the intro melody, played using a capo on the 2nd fret.
Sports fans’ favourite song
Released in 1969 under the full title Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good), it is said to have been inspired by John F. Kennedy’s 11-year-old daughter, Caroline, as well as Neil Diamond’s wife.
A top 10 hit in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Ireland, and South Africa, Neil has sold around 5 million copies of this timeless classic.
It has since become the go-to song for celebrating major victories in English football. As recently as 2021, when the English men’s team reached the Euro final, it re-entered the U.K. charts.
In 2022, following the England women’s team’s tournament win, BBC Radio 2 played the song every hour on the hour.
This tradition began in the U.S. with the Boston Red Sox, who played the song to celebrate the birth of an employee’s daughter named Caroline. The crowd’s enthusiastic response led to the song being played regularly at games.
Soon, the tradition spread to other countries and sports.
While some people may wonder why Sweet Caroline has resonated so strongly, the answer is simple: audience participation! It works every time.
Sweet Caroline Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
