Sweet Caroline | Chords + Lyrics (no capo)
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
| B | B | E | E |
Look at the night, and it don’t seem so lonely.
| B | B | F# | F# |
We filled it up with only two.
| B | B | E | E |
And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulders.
| B | B | F# | F# |
How can I hurt when holding you.
Bridge 2
| B | B | B6 | B6 |
One, touching one.
| F# | F# | E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) |
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 2
| 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, oh no, no.
Instrumental
||: F#11 :|| x7
Chorus 3
| B | E (Emaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) |
Good times never seemed so good.
| B | E (Emaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) |
I believe they never could.
| B | E (Emaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| E | E | F# | F# (F#sus4) | to fade
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
| A | A | D | D |
Look at the night, and it don’t seem so lonely.
| A | A | E | E |
We filled it up with only two.
| A | A | D | D |
And when I hurt, hurting runs off my shoulders.
| A | A | E | E |
How can I hurt when holding you.
Bridge 2
| A | A | A6 | A6 |
One, touching one.
| E | E | D | D | E | E (Esus4) |
Reaching out, touching me, touching you.
Chorus 2
| 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, oh no, no.
Instrumental
||: D/E :|| x7
Chorus 3
| A | D (Dmaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| D | D | E | E (Esus4) |
Good times never seemed so good.
| A | D (Dmaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| D | D | E | E (Esus4) |
I believe they never could.
| A | D (Dmaj7) |
Sweet Caroline.
| D | D | E | E (Esus4) | to fade
Good times never seemed so good.
Sweet Caroline’s chords, progressions, and TAB
I guess it does make sense to put a capo on the second fret when playing Neil Diamond‘s Sweet Caroline.
For a while I contemplated fret 4, thinking in G, and I also made a case for no capo, thinking in B but at the end of the day, it’s probably best in the key of A, with a capo on fret 2.
Members get TAB for playing in the key of A, including those horn lines into the comping. It’s actually great fun to play this tune if you go the extra mile, beyond just strumming open-position chords.
Here’s a link to the full lesson (members only): Sweet Caroline chord analysis and TAB.
Become a member today and get unlimited access to all my guitar courses, the SEPR practice route, and the eBook Spytunes Method – You can learn guitar!
Sweet Caroline chords | Related pages
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Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond dropped out of college to go work for Tin Pan Aley as a songwriter as a teenager.
His best tunes include Solitary Man, Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon, I’m A Believer, Red Red Wine, Sweet Caroline, and You Don’t Bring Me Flower.
Neil Diamond on the web
Country & Folk
In the primarily acoustic genres of Country and Folk, you must acquire what matters the most: A repertoire. Nothing else will give you the gig.
Learn tunes by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, America, Don McLean, and many more.
Pop & Rock
Whenever a tune doesn’t fit into a specific genre, it tends to end up here, in the Pop & Rock section.
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