Coronavirus: ‘Hands, washing hands’ -- Neil Diamond alters ‘Sweet Caroline’ lyrics

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

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."

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.

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