In these strange times, no one can fault you for thinking that Neil Diamond wrote the first lines of “Sweet Caroline” about a pandemic.
“Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing,” the classic song opens. “But then I know it’s growing strong.”
The rest is not far off, either: “Was in the spring,” he sings — presumably about a love affair.
Well, Diamond played on the 1969 hit in a video he posted to Twitter on Sunday, changing up the lyrics and turning everyone’s favorite crowd-pleasing singalong into an anthem for social distancing.
“Hands, washing hands,” he croons in the video, flanked by a lit fireplace and his dog Shamrock. “Don’t touch me, I won’t touch you.”
He’s not the only famous performer to do so. Last week, singer JoJo took to TikTok to perform a similarly amended version of her 2011 hit, “Leave (Get Out),” instead telling her fans to “stay in, right now — do it for humanity.”
“Tell me why you’re acting so confused, when the CDC laid it out for you,” she asks, snapping her fingers and drumming on a kitchen table. “Come on, I know you’re not dumb.”
It hasn’t been so successful for everyone. Last week, a cadre of celebrities assembled by Gal Gadot of “Wonder Woman” drew the collective scorn of the Internet after they urged viewers to stay strong while crooning out John Lennon’s “Imagine” — presumably, from the comfort of their own very large homes.
But JoJo and Diamond both received warm receptions on social media, where fans praised them for lifting their spirits.
“I know we’re going through a rough time right now,” the 79-year-old songwriter said in his video. “But I love you, and I think maybe if we sing together, maybe we’ll just feel a little bit better.”