‘Hands, washing hands’ -- Neil Diamond alters ‘Sweet Caroline’ lyrics – WSOC TV
David Craig
Updated on April 04, 2026
Singer Neil Diamond revised the lyrics of one of his signature songs into an anthem for the coronavirus age.
Diamond, 79, took to Twitter and offered a new version of “Sweet Caroline,” urging viewers to "Stay safe out there! “Hands ... washing hands.”
“I know we’re going through a rough time right now, and I love you,” Diamond said in a video he posted on Twitter. “I think maybe if we sing together, well, we’ll feel just a little bit better.”
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Diamond then begins strumming his guitar and sings “Sweet Caroline,” changing the song in two key places.
"Hands, washing hands, reaching out,
“Don’t touch me. I won’t touch you.”
Diamond released “Sweet Caroline” in 1969, and the song reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list that year.
Coronavirus: ‘Hands, washing hands’ -- Neil Diamond alters ‘Sweet Caroline’ lyrics Singer Neil Diamond introduced a new version of "Sweet Caroline." (Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images)
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