Matt Damon does not need a complicated karaoke strategy.
The actor revealed that his go-to song is Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” a choice that makes sense for anyone who has heard the song echo through a Boston sports crowd.
Damon gave the answer during a June 15 episode of Are You Okay?, where he joined host Bri Morales while promoting his work with Water.org.
“I always go with ‘Sweet Caroline,’” Damon said, according to People. “It gets everybody singing along.”
Damon Knows the Song Gets a Crowd Involved
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The choice is not exactly a surprise. Damon grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and “Sweet Caroline” has long been tied to Boston sports culture through the Red Sox singalong at Fenway Park.
MLB’s history of the tradition notes that Neil Diamond’s recording plays before the bottom of the eighth inning at Red Sox home games, turning the ballpark into a full-stadium singalong.
Damon did not pretend the song proves he is secretly a professional-level singer. When asked whether he considers himself good at singing, he laughed and kept the answer modest.
“I mean, I can sing ‘Sweet Caroline,’” he said, according to People.
Morales joked that the Neil Diamond song is not the easiest pick because “there are words,” and Damon agreed. The exchange kept the answer loose and self-aware rather than turning it into a serious musical confession.
The Interview Was Tied to His Water.org Work
Damon was not only on the show to talk about karaoke. People reported that he appeared on Are You Okay? to discuss a new campaign with Water.org, the nonprofit he co-founded.
Water.org says Damon and Gary White founded the organization to expand access to safe water and sanitation. The nonprofit says its work has helped more than 88 million people across Africa, Asia and Latin America gain access to safe water or sanitation through affordable financing.
The organization’s new Get Blue campaign asks people to shop, share and donate through brand partnerships to help bring safe water to families who need it. Water.org announced the campaign with founding partners including Gap Inc., Starbucks, Amazon and Ecolab.
During the interview, Damon said he would do “pretty much anything” to promote the organization. People noted that he once poured toilet water over his head to raise awareness for the global water crisis.
He Also Tried Rapping as The Nomad
Damon’s karaoke answer came after another musical detour tied to the same campaign.
On The Tonight Show, Damon appeared as a rap alter ego called The Nomad, which is his last name spelled backward, to promote Get Blue and Water.org.
People reported that Damon joked on Are You Okay? that the rap career did not last long.
“We started last week. It’s already over,” he said. “It was pretty terrible.”
Damon Is Also Heading Back to Theaters in The Odyssey
The lighter interview moment arrives as Damon prepares for one of his biggest movie roles in years.
He stars as Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which is scheduled to hit theaters July 17. People reported that the cast also includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o and Robert Pattinson.