You might be surprised to learn that Caroline is the female version of the name Charles or “Carolus” in Latin. This is a popular women’s name around the world, especially in English, French, and German-speaking countries.
So, it should also be no surprise that there are lots of songs out there about Carolines. Just like the people represented by this name, the songs about Caroline are diverse and range across all genres of music.
Whether you’re a Caroline or you’re looking for a song for the special Caroline in your life, I’ve got you covered. Here are the best songs with the name Caroline in the title out there.
Contents
- Top 12 Songs With the Name Caroline in the Title
- Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
- Caroline Says I & Caroline Says II – Lou Reed
- His Daughter Caroline – Chuck Berry
- Caroline, No – the Beach Boys
- Caroline’s Supposed Demon – His Name Is Alive
- Caroline’s a Victim – Kate Nash
- Caroline – Concrete Blond
- Caroline Was A Dropout – Kid Creole & the Coconuts
- Woman Goin’ Crazy on Caroline Street – Jimmy Buffett
- Goodbye Caroline – Aimee Mann
- The Hills of Caroline – Vince Gill
- Oh Carolina – Folkes Brothers / Shaggy
- Want More Songs About People?
- Songs with the Name Caroline in the Title – Final Thoughts
Top 12 Songs With the Name Caroline in the Title
Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
Well, of course, you knew I had to start with this song. “Sweet Caroline” has got to be the best-known and most loved Caroline song out there. And, no doubt, you’ve heard it plenty of times before.
But, here’s something that maybe you didn’t know…
Neil Diamond announced that the 1969 hit song was written for Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy (-Onassis). He even sang this song for her at her 50th birthday party in 2007.
But, he later admitted that the real inspiration for this cracking tune was his then-wife Marcia. However, he needed a 3-syllable name to make the chorus work musically. So, he borrowed the name from Caroline Kennedy.
Either way, this is a fantastic Caroline song. The verses are slow, quiet, and sweet. The pre-chorus builds up passionately before exploding in the familiar chorus, “Sweet Caroline (dah dah dah) – Good times never felt so good!”
Caroline Says I & Caroline Says II – Lou Reed
An equally legendary songwriter in his own right, Lou Reed also had a Caroline song of his own. Well, actually, he has a pair.
Lou Reed was known for writing observational songs about people he knew, much like character studies. Like “Lisa Says” and “Stephanie Says,” Reed continues this by quoting 1 or 2 different Carolines in his songs “Caroline Says 1 & 2”. Both songs come from Reed’s 1973 album, Berlin.
In #1, he quotes her in a punchy rock song, “Caroline says that I’m just a toy – She wants a man, not just a boy.” This song is about a German love interest.
In #2, Reed gets slow and soulful…
This is a remake of the Velvet Underground song “Stephanie Says,” using the same melody but with a different character.
This time, Caroline is an abused woman. Reed tells her sad story with lines like, “Caroline says – As she gets up off the floor – You can hit me all you want to – But I don’t love you anymore.”
His Daughter Caroline – Chuck Berry
Do you want classic Caroline songs? How about a slow, classy rocker from one of the originators of Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry?
His song “His Daughter Caroline” has a blues beat and structure, with some slow, thoughtful, beautiful guitar chords from the man who normally plays like lightning. Of course, there’s still a solo here, but it’s reserved and very appropriate to the tone of the song.
And that tone is very, very cool…
This song is a Blues-Rock ballad about a man and his daughter, Caroline. This story starts from her early years when he “Snugged the blanket around her feet to help and keep ’em warm.”
It takes you through her graduation and then her wedding, and the feelings her father went through watching her grow. It has a bit of a melancholy ending when he gives her away at her wedding.
“Cheer was sparkling from his eyes, but tears were in behind – When he gave his heart away, his daughter Caroline.”
Caroline, No – the Beach Boys
Our next song is also a true classic. “Caroline, No” was written by the immortal Brian Wilson and released as his first solo record in 1966. But the song was also put on the famous album Pet Sounds that same year. Wilson claims that this is one of the best songs he ever wrote.
It certainly sounded different than anything else happening at the time…
Wilson used unusual instrumentation here, including a harpsichord, flutes, and various percussion instruments, including an empty water jug. It produces a full orchestral sound, very different from the Beach Boys’ earlier basic Rock sound.
The lyrics here are all about the loss of innocence. The “no” is said mournfully, missing the sweetness of a young girl who lost “that happy glow” she used to have.
Caroline’s Supposed Demon – His Name Is Alive
His Name Is Alive is an experimental band from Livonia, Michigan, and that’s also the name of their first album, Livonia. This album came out back in 1990 and included a very unique track called “Caroline’s Supposed Demon.”
This track is more of an art project than a song…
It uses plucky guitar chords in contrast with swirling, ringing synth notes to give a beautiful, haunting feel. The vocals by Karin Oliver are also haunting, with lots of echo and other weird effects. And that fits nicely with the name and content of the song.
There are only four lines in the lyrics. But, sometimes, less is more. “Caroline’s supposed demon – Caroline, they say she’s haunted – We may only once divide the – Pain and darkness deep inside us.”
Caroline’s a Victim – Kate Nash
UK singer/songwriter and actress Kate Nash also has a unique Caroline song to listen to. “Caroline’s a Victim” is a pretty hard song to classify. It was her first single and first music video, and one that gave her a lot of exposure in 2007.
The song starts with a thick Hip-Hop beat and deep, fuzzy synth notes. The vocals, which are sort of chanted or rapped even, come in and set the tone for the song. It’s sort of anti-pop and facetious.
When Nash sings, “Caroline’s a vic-tim,” you can hear her voice dripping with sarcasm. But, when she talks about how “Caroline sits in her room playin’ killer killer killer killer beats,” she could be talking about someone she knows. But, equally, it could be a critique of herself as a beatsmith.
Caroline – Concrete Blond
The Beach Boys’ song isn’t the only one that’s a bit of a lament. “Caroline” from Concrete Blond is another song about someone named Caroline who seems to have a troubled life. It comes from the band’s third album, Bloodletting, which came out in 1990 and was very dark and sad.
And the song “Caroline” fits right in…
This song was written by singer Johnette Napolitano and features her distinct, powerful voice. The guitar chords here are twangy and ring out in an eerie to help set a sad mood. The lyrics are all about a troubled person like a friend or lover who’s passed through your life.
There is some wishful thinking here, like, “In another life I see you as an angel flying high – And the hands of time will free you – You will cast your chains aside.” But, for the most part, it’s like a sad song written to someone who has moved on.
Caroline Was A Dropout – Kid Creole & the Coconuts
Another song about a troubled Caroline? Well, at least this time, it comes from one of my favorite acts ever – Kid Creole & the Coconuts.
This Big Band style group is just full of fun, with a full band playing tight music, Kid Creole as the ideal frontman, and the Coconuts, three backup singer-dancers, who are perfect entertainers.
And the 1985 song “Caroline Was A Dropout” is as fun as any other that this band put out. It has sizzling sax licks, and trumpet blares to liven things up and make this one heck of a rocking tune.
This time…
Caroline’s life is described as being anything but normal. “Caroline – she was an outcast, – a zip-off of a badass – Caroline – she was a drop-out a fallen out drop-out.” According to the singer, she did it to herself.
Apparently, he has “got no sympathy – She had the same opportunities as me.” A bit harsh, but there you go.
Woman Goin’ Crazy on Caroline Street – Jimmy Buffett
Unlike most songs with the name Caroline in the title, the Caroline in this next song isn’t a woman but a street instead. This is “Woman Goin’ Crazy on Caroline Street” by the legendary Jimmy Buffett. It comes from his 1976 album Havana Daydreamin’.
This song has a typical Country-Rock style to it, and the normal Jimmy Buffet Island escapism feel as well. But there’s a big 70s orchestral rock element here, too.
The music is big and full…
You have rock instruments, but also strings, lap steel guitar, and backing singers to fill out the sound. The lyrics are about a woman who is going crazy on the street. The crazy part is apparently her prostituting herself.
Buffet sings, “There’s a woman goin’ crazy on caroline street – Stoppin’ every man that she does meet – Sayin’ if you’ll be gentle if you’ll be sweet – I’ll show you my place on Caroline Street” to illustrate this character vividly.
Goodbye Caroline – Aimee Mann
American singer Aimee Mann has won Grammys and even an Academy Award for her music. So, when she puts out a Caroline song, it for sure wins a spot on our list.
“Goodbye Caroline” comes from her 2005 album, The Forgotten Arm, and is a sort of Indie/Folk/Rock song. There’s also a bit of a Country feel here. The drums are solid and punchy, and the piano and steel guitar give the song a tinge of an old saloon song.
The lyrics are sung to a Caroline, who is being told goodbye. The whole album is a concept album about two characters, John and Caroline, who run away to escape their problems.
In this song…
John leaves Caroline in Las Vegas to get help for his alcohol addiction. The song starts with “Put on your shoes, girl – I’m goin’ to the coast – Where every loser – Gives up what hurts the most.”
The Hills of Caroline – Vince Gill
In 1998, Country star Vince Gill put out the album, The Key. On it was a very special song, “The Hills of Caroline.” Just like Jimmy Buffet’s song, this one isn’t about a woman named Caroline.
In actual fact, the Caroline in this song is North Carolina, but the song still is about a woman – just one named Hattie.
This is a sad, lamenting song about a love that didn’t work out…
Gill sings, “If I should die before tomorrow – Just one request if you don’t mind – Just bury me right next to Hattie – In the hills of Caroline.” So it’s still a love song, if a sad one.
The music is soft and smooth, with fiddle and piano and a smooth bass line running through it and supporting the guitar and vocals. While the content is sad, the music is kind of uplifting, representing survival after a tragic loss.
Oh Carolina – Folkes Brothers / Shaggy
Okay, I admit this is sort of cheating. The last song here on my list doesn’t perfectly fit in with songs with the name Caroline in the title. But, since “The Hills of Carolina” refers to Carolina, I guess I can slip in “Oh Carolina,” too.
This is an early Ska song that was written by Jamaican artists Folkes Brothers and produced by the legendary Prince Buster back in 1960. This version has a very strong bongo rhythm, almost drowning out the rest of the song. It’s fun but could have been done better.
I guess Shaggy thought the same thing…
Because in 1993, the Reggae-Dancehall artist put out a cover of this song on his album Pure Pleasure. This version starts with a sample of the original before breaking into a thick raga beat.
There’s a deep tuba sound as the bass line, and the ska upbeat is gone. It’s replaced with a slow groove that makes you want to jump and prance. This is Shaggy’s first big hit and for very good reason.
Want More Songs About People?
Well, check out our thoughts on Songs with the Name Ruby in the Title, Songs With The Name Maria in The Title, Songs With The Name Jennifer In The Title, Songs With the Name Olivia in the Title, and Songs with the Word “Rose” in the Title for more great song selections.
Also, you need to listen to them. So, take a look at our in-depth reviews of the Best Headphones for Music, the Best Headphones Under $200, the Best True Wireless Earbuds, the Most Comfortable Headphones, and the Best Sound Quality Earbuds you can buy in 2023.
Songs with the Name Caroline in the Title – Final Thoughts
I may have cheated a little bit with the last song. But it was still a song about a woman named Carolina. Most of these tracks are sung to or about women named Caroline, but not all. A couple of them reference places with the same name, but can still be interpreted any way you like.
These songs are perfect for the Caroline in your life. Some are sad, some happy, and some admiring, making a perfect mix. Caroline is a classic name, and you need some great songs to go along with it. So, whether you’re into Rock, Pop, or weird music, there’s a Caroline song here for you.
Until next time, happy listening.
