Caroline? NO!

I'm partial to the name Caroline. The newest Hawley is my great niece who goes by that name although I'm not sure how her parents, Ben and Courtney, chose it for their princess. (She is perfect!) Like many others, I also like Neil Diamond's classic hit, Sweet Caroline, which has become a standard at Boston Red Sox games although I don't know why that is the case, either. Sweet Caroline, written in honor of former first daughter Caroline Kennedy, has withstood the test of time since its release in September of 1969. But my favorite song with that name is Caroline, No written by the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and collaborator Tony Asher. Actually, even though it's on the Pet Sounds album by the Beach Boys, Brian is the only group member who performs on the track. The words were penned by Asher after visiting his ex girlfriend, Carol, who had cut her hair short since their last meeting. The catch line of the song was Carol, I Know. Brian mistakenly heard Caroline, No and fortunately both agreed that was a better translation, changing the line and the title. The rest, my friends, is musical history. 

Would Carol I Know have become popular without the lyric switch? I'm going out on a limb and say no. The original is a line of understanding but Caroline, No is an inward groaning. We talk in my classes about the importance of hearing. The kids have a great insight into which of their classmates AND teammates only pay lip service to listening. (Maybe ear service would be more accurate.) Jesus acknowledged that same issue with His crowd in the thirteenth verse of Matthew 13:
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
I tell my kids these Gospel stories for the most part seem easy to comprehend to us, if not always easy to live by. But sometimes, I think it's good our hearing isn't perfect. What if we heard everything others said about us? The negative comments might destroy our confidence, filling us with doubt and undoubtedly, anger. But if we heard every complimentary statement, our sense of humility might be warped and our ego over inflated. Coaches have to have a thick skin.......along with preachers, parents, teachers, and these days, politicians. So, listen as close as possible but don't be obsessed with eavesdropping. The Lord knows the word on the street as it relates to us. And I'm pretty sure He could care less! (Or is it careless??) Oh, well, it worked out well for Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. Too bad for Carol- like her hair, she got cut out of the song. At least, she knew the truth. 

Applicable quote of the day:
“In love, as in life, one misheard word can be tremendously important. If you tell someone you love them, for instance, you must be absolutely certain that they have replied "I love you back" and not "I love your back" before you continue the conversation.” 
Lemony Snicket

To hear Caroline, No click or copy/ paste the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w7ZeSIC6K0
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com