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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
World
Lottie Gibbons

Euro 2020 final: Why do England fans sing Sweet Caroline?

Football anthems have flooded the charts ahead of England's clash with Italy on Sunday.

Three Lions (Football's Coming Home) by Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds, which has been ringing out since England's victory over Denmark, has zoomed up to the charts into the top five ahead of the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.

It is at number four in the charts, up from 22 last week, according to the Official Charts Company.

READ MORE: We've all been singing 'Three Lions' wrong and making big lyrics mistake

Neil Diamond's 1971 hit Sweet Caroline, which has become an unofficial anthem of the tournament and was sung by fans and players on the pitch after the win on Wednesday, re-enters at 48.

But unlike Three Lions, Sweet Caroline has no lyrics relating to football.

This left many people asking why England fans sing it.

Sweet Caroline has been an anthem over the pond in America for some time and has also been a big hit in the boxing world in this country.

Now it has spread to football, chiefly among England fans.

One of the reasons why it is so popular is it anthemic song for big groups with the added “so good, so good, so good” to the middle of the chorus, reports CoventryLive.

Wembley DJ Tony Parry reportedly made the decision to play “Sweet Caroline” after the win over Germany, and it proved to be a brilliant move.

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate acknowledged this in the post-match press conference after the Germany win, saying: “You can’t beat a bit of ‘Sweet Caroline’!”

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The lyrics in full

Where it began, I can't begin to knowing
But then I know it's growing strong
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who'd have believed you'd come along

Hands, touching hands
Reaching out, touching me, touching you

Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
But now I

Look at the night and it don't seem so lonely
We filled it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurting runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when holding you

One, touching one
Reaching out, touching me, touching you

Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
Oh no, no

Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline
I believe they never could
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good

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