It was a great story . For years the lore has been that Neil Diamond 's 1969 song `` Sweet Caroline '' was an ode to the then young daughter of late president John F. Kennedy and his wife , Jacqueline . On Monday , the singer revealed the truth behind the hit . `` I was writing a song in Memphis , Tennessee , for a session . I needed a three-syllable name , '' Diamond said during an appearance on `` Today . '' `` The song was about my wife at the time — her name was Marsha — and I could n't get a 'Marsha ' rhyme . '' `` Sweet Caroline '' has since become a staple track , and in 2013 Diamond announced that he would donate the royalties to One Fund Boston to help those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing . The song has been played at every Boston Red Sox home game for more than a decade , and there was a spike in downloads after the April 2013 tragedy . Diamond is releasing his first album in six years , `` Melody Road , '' and said on `` Today '' that he `` was a nervous wreck going into this new album . ''
Diamond told the story of ` ` Sweet ##heart '' Royalties from the album were donated to the fire victims . The singer has his first album in five years .