This is Caroline Trettine. The only Caroline I own more than one song by. Largely thanks to Martin.
Caroline Trettine - Sleep With Me
Although there appear to be hundreds of songs featuring Carolines, there are very few song-makers with that name.
Only two other singing Carolines in my hard-drive...
Caroline & The Treats - Me And My Vibrator
Caroline Carter - The Ballad of Possibilities (Come Along)
And while I'm usually inundated with artist suggestions, the only other one this week came from Walter...
Carolyne Mas - Thomas Dunson's Revenge
Which led me to investigate the alternate spelling and discover...
Carolyn Franklin - All I Want Is To Be Your Woman
As well as this absolute gem of a suicide anthem...
But a dearth of famous Carolines is good, because it means we can get straight onto the songs...
Let's start with your suggestions that didn't make the Top Ten...
The late, great Daniel Johnston - I Did Acid with Caroline (Lynchie)
Fleetwood Mac - Caroline (Martin)
Jefferson Starship - Caroline (Walter)
Lou Reed - Caroline Says I / Caroline Says II (Martin & George)
Old Crow Medicine Show - Caroline (Lynchie)
Cheap Trick - Oh Caroline (Martin)
Colin Blunstone (Formerly of the Zombies and then went solo) - Caroline Goodbye (Lynchie)
Jimmy Buffett - Woman Goin' Crazy on Caroline Street (Martin)
Talk Talk - Does Caroline Know? (Walter)
Now, I have to admit I get a bit rankled by Talk Talk, so when my millennial hipster politico friend, Ben, also suggested this one, I might have snapped.
You're not part of that whole "Spirit of Eden is the greatest album in the history of recorded music" conspiracy, are you? (Both Guy Garvey and Huey Morgan are among the disciples of this particular cult.)
My millennial hipster politico friend, Ben, replied:
It's a key album in the development of post-rock music. The blueprints are there but I don't think they knew what to do with it properly.
This turned into a whole argument with me railing against the very concept of "post rock" and Ben quoting Mogwai and post-metal and Math rock and me saying I'd rather listen to Twisted Sister. It got ugly. But there are worse ways to spend a Friday afternoon.
Ben also suggested...
Which is fine, but no postmen were hurt in the recording of that.
Also from Ben, a couple of great lyrical offerings...
She's still thinking about this when the bus goes passed caroline lee's house where there was a party last week. There were some german exchange students there who were very mature; they all ended up jumping out of the bedroom window. One of them tried to get her to kiss him on the stairs, so she kicked him. Later she was sick because she drunk too much cider. Caroline was drunk as well; she was pretending she was married to a tall boy in glasses, and she had to wear a polo-neck for three days afterwards to cover up the love-bite on her neck.
That was a very strong contender, partly because it scratches my "short stories in songs" itch and partly because it was the first Pulp song I ever fell in love with. But I guess I had to save it for Our Top Ten Susan Songs.
Cell phone number here, call if you have the time
Twenty-eight and bored, grieving over loss
Sorry to be heavy, but heavy is the cost
Heavy is the cost
Which, if I ever get round to completing it, will be a strong contender for Number One in My Top Ten Lonely Hearts Column Songs. Although it will obviously be up again Rupert Holmes.
Also on the lyrical side of things, strong calls from Walter...
The Undertones - Girls That Don't Talk
And Charity Chic...
Townes Van Zandt - Tecumseh Valley
Time to venture into the darkest recesses of my hard-drive... for some very strong runners-up...
Frank Turner - Least Of All, Young Caroline
Jake Thackray - Caroline Diggeby-Pratte
Mark Kozelek & Jimmy Lavelle - Caroline
Martin Stephenson and the Daintees - Caroline
Steppenwolf - Caroline (Are You Ready for the Outlaw World)
Tom Williams & The Boat - Caroline
The Candy Darlings - That's Where Caroline Lives
As for that pesky alternative spelling / pronunciation...
Ronnie Bond (drummer of The Troggs) - Carolyn
Cocteau Twins - Carolyn's Fingers
Finally, there was some discussion about the possibility of including Carolinas in this list, but I had to veto that on the grounds of Shaggy. Sorry.
Onto this week's winning ten...
10. Kate Nash - Caroline's A Victim
Because Kate Nash always makes me smile. And I need as many smiles as I can get these days.
See also...
Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Caroline's A Drop-Out
Over to our Canadian correspondent, Douglas...
I am enthused to be able to introduce you to another strong Canadian contender here!
If your willing to stretch out a little into the Country realm (as I believe by your other selections you are on occasion) my collection yields up the somewhat shocking voice of Colter Wall, from Saskatchewan (that's prairie town, Canada style if you are not up on your Canadian geography, the heart of Canadian Country music). A little test? See if you too, like the Proclaimers, "can say "Saskatchewan" without starting to stutter..." Anyway, give a listen to his song "Caroline" from 2015, and see if you can believe that the lad had barely turned 20 at the time of recording that song.
No, he certainly doesn't sound 20. I have heard Ricky Ross playing Colter on his Radio Scotland Country show, but I hadn't heard this one. It's utterly bewitching though. Thanks, Douglas.
Because Jez would never forgive me if this wasn't in here somewhere.
Can't argue with this suggestion from John Medd. How many other songs can you think of where the roses smell like poo poo?
All the guys would say she's mighty fine (mighty fine)
But mighty fine only got you somewhere half the time
And the other half either got you cussed out, or coming up short
6. The Beach Boys - Caroline, No
"Caroline, No" by The Beach Boys has to be a contender! says Lynchie.
And let's not forget the answer song, thanks to Rigid Digit...
5. The Go-Betweens - Caroline And I
Surprised nobody picked this one.
Alive at a similar time
It gave me something small that I could feel
That maybe as you grew, you knew how I'd feel
And Caroline and I knew how you'd feel
Rattled through our teenage years
Battled and loved who we fought
The first time you left home on your own I knew
A little bit of you is gone when you do
And Caroline and I well we grew, well that's true
Caroline and I
4. Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
Clearly the best lyrical suggestion of the week, via Rigid Digit...
3. Matching Mole - O' Caroline
A sweet '70s song this time, says C, with Robert Wyatt on vocals.
An utterly enchanting song, adds John Medd.
Alyson continues...
You've beaten me to it C, as that was the song I would have suggested. I think I discovered it from one of the other blogs a couple of years ago and was blown away it - there is a great YouTube clip with loads of '60s/'70s scenes in black and white which brings always brings on an overwhelming sense of nostalgia when I watch it: just matches the sound of the song so well.
The Swede concludes...
Spot on C, an absolute beauty. Another Robert Wyatt tune at least partially inspired by Caroline Coon (as well as Carla Bley and Marsha Hunt) is 'To Carla, Marsha and Caroline (For Making Everything Beautifuller)' from his 1970 LP 'The End of an Ear'. Not sure if Rol will allow that though.
That may bend the Song For Whoever rule, Swede, but it is quite lovely. Matching Mole for the win though... if only there weren't such stiff competition this week.
Martin and Rigid Digit both picked this for Number One. I respect that. But sometimes there's just no competition.
1. Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
There are those of you who may not like Sweet Caroline, and I don't often say this, because everyone is entitled to their opinion and it's all subjective and opinions are like arseholes... but you're wrong.
Sweet Caroline has a wistful nostalgia about it. It starts small but grows and then explodes. This is where Nirvana got the whole quiet quiet LOUD thing from. And best of all, it has the "Der der ders!" which even Bublé can't beat. I'm really sad if you don't like it because when I'm down, Sweet Caroline can pick me up like virtually no other song.
Good times never seemed so good...
My millennial hipster politico friend, Ben, says...
"Also, if you do Sweet Caroline, make it the Hoff version or Me First & The Gimme Gimmes."
...which just goes to show you, there really is little hope for the youth of today.
David Hasslehoff - Sweet Caroline
Me First & The Gimme Gimmes - Sweet Caroline
I actually quite like the Hoff's vocal performance here, but the backing track is awful.
And the Me First... cover sounds like every other Me First... cover. Amusing the first time you hear it. After that...
Still, if it's covers you want, try these...
More faithful than you'd imagine.
Manages to make it his own.
Elvis Presley - Sweet Caroline
Just in case you're wondering how to dance in the der-der-ders.
Frank Sinatra - Sweet Caroline
Probably my favourite cover.
Still. There is no competition here.
