Recently, I was at an elementary school for a special ceremony in which the principal honored the students who had read the most books during the year. Kids walked on a red carpet, enjoyed a special lunch, and then danced to some of their favorite songs. Of course, for those “of a certain age,” the poor diction of rap and hip-hop made the lyrics unintelligible. Not that there’s a message in that genre anyway.
Then, suddenly, a familiar song filled the room. Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.” I figured a teacher snuck that one into the playlist, until the students began singing along. I asked a girl seated nearby, “You guys know this song?”
