Why do we sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve?

Victoria and David Beckham. Courtesy of Victoria Beckham/Instagram

“Should an old acquaintance be forgotten / And never remembered” – wait, what does that even mean?

Every New Year’s Eve brings many attempts to sing the one song everyone associates with the holiday: “Auld Lang Syne.” However, few partygoers know the words, and even fewer still understand what “auld lang syne” even means. If your resolution going into 2024 was not to start the year without knowing the song’s history, allow We weekly to help you deliver on that promise.

Keep reading to learn the meaning of the tune and find a few notable covers to add to your playlist.

What does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ mean?

‘Auld Lang Syne’ literally means ‘long-old’, which roughly translates to ‘bygone days’. When you sing, “Should an old acquaintance be forgotten / And never brought to mind,” you are rhetorically asking, “Should you forget old friends?” Should we leave behind the old days we’ve lived through, or should we remember them and toast them with a ‘cup o’ kindness’ as mentioned later in the song?

The tune is essentially a drinking song about the sweet memories of the good old days, which is appropriate to sing at the beginning of a new year, when the opportunity to experience new ‘good old days’ is just around the corner.

The History of “Auld Lang Syne”

“Auld Lang Syne” is attributed to Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. In 1788, Burns wrote down the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” and sent them to the Scot Musical Museum, a collection of traditional folk music of Scotland. Burns wrote that the words were taken from an old man’s song. Although the song has long been associated with Burns, Encyclopedia Britannica notes that poets including Sir Robert Ayton and Allan Ramsay wrote works that had similar lines to “Auld Lang Syne.” These works are cited as Burns’ inspiration, while credit for “Auld Lang Syne” remains solely his.

The melody is attributed to Geroge Thomson, who composed it in 1799 according to Burns’ words. Like Burns’s lyrics, Thomson’s tune is linked to earlier works, including those of William Shield (who used a similar tune in 1782) and part four of the Scot Musical Museum in 1792, although this version does not include the lyrics “Auld Lang Syne” used. Thomson combined the music and the words, and thus the song we have come to know as the New Year’s Eve song was born.

As for how it became associated with the holiday, credit Guy Lombardo. The Canadian-born bandleader would lead his group, the Royal Canadians, by playing “Auld Lang Syne” on his popular radio broadcasts. Lombardo made the successful leap to television, and for over thirty years he and the Royal Canadians performed ‘Auld Lang Syne’ for viewers at home on New Year’s Eve. Other bandleaders followed, including Jack Parnell (who was satirized by the Muppets and Vincent Price on The Muppet Show), further spreading the association between New Year’s Eve and “Auld Lang Syne.”

The lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne”

Since this is a song adapted from a Scottish poem and based on Scottish folklore, there are a few Scottish words in the song.

If an old acquaintance is forgotten,
And never kept in mind?
If an old acquaintance is forgotten,
And auld lang syne.

[Chorus]
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For times long past.
We’ll have another cup of kindness,
For times long past.

And you will definitely be your pint stowp!
And I will certainly be mine!
And we’ll have another cup of kindness,
For times long past.

[Chorus]
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For times long past.
We’ll have another cup of kindness,
For times long past.

We have to run around the braes
And the gowans were fine with it
But we walked around with a tired foot
It would be a shame for a long time.

[Chorus]
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For times long past.
We’ll have another cup of kindness,
For times long past.

And there is a hand, my faithful fire
And Gie is a hand of yours
And we’ll take a good gude-willy waught,
For times long past

[Chorus]
For auld lang syne, my jo,
For times long past.
We’ll have another cup of kindness,
For times long past.

Notable covers

Mary Carey

While the lyrics of the song still capture the bittersweet spirit of the holiday, Concern runs her version to a club banger.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Taken from Springsteen’s New Year’s Eve concert at the Nassau Coliseum in 1980, this rendition is a rocking version that shows you don’t need words to celebrate.

The Platters

New Year’s Eve is a chance to dress up, drink champagne and feel stylish. One of the best ways to do this is to put on The Platters, whose version of “Auld Lang Syne‘ is pure magic.

Jimi Hendrix

In December 1969, Hendrix recorded an EP with bassist Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles. The trio practiced during extensive rehearsals for a performance at the Fillmore East. To commemorate what would become the beginning of a new chapter (Hendrix would die in September 1970 at the age of 27), the guitar legend recorded a medley of holiday songs, including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Silent Night” and “Auld Lang Syne’. .” While revisiting Christmas music on December 31st may seem a bit lackluster, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” it’s worth it.