- “Auld Lang Syne,” a song that people sing all over the world on New Year’s Eve, was written centuries ago.
- The song’s lyrics were recorded in a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788, but he noted that the song had already been in circulation for years.
- The phrase “auld lang syne” directly translates from Scots language to modern English as “old long since,” but can be interpreted in multiple ways.
You might know it as the song that people sing – or at least try to sing – every year on New Year’s Eve.
Once the clock strikes midnight and the calendar flips to 2023, people around the world will join in a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne.” But if you’re struggling to remember or even comprehend the lyrics of the tune, you’re probably not alone.
The song was written centuries ago and contains some words we’d normally never use in the U.S. today.
The lyrics were recorded in a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788, though he noted that the song had already been in circulation for years before he put it in writing.
While there are various stories about where the song originated, David Hopes, who previously served as director of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway, Scotland, told the USA TODAY Network in 2014 that Burns adapted an earlier version written down by Scottish poet Allan Ramsay.
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The song’s rise to fame in North America is likely thanks to Guy Lombardo, whose orchestra played it on his radio and TV shows each New Year’s Eve from 1929 to 1977, Hopes said.
What does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ mean?
The phrase “auld lang syne” directly translates from Scots language to modern English as “old long since,” but can be interpreted in practice as “old times, especially times fondly remembered” or an “old or long friendship,” according to Dictionary.com.
If you feel yourself getting a little teary-eyed and sentimental while singing along, it might not just be the champagne. The phrase is meant to evoke feelings of nostalgia, especially to memories of good times spent with friends.
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The first lines of the song – “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?” – serves as a reminder to cherish those fond memories that we’ve already had, which makes the message a fit for New Year’s Eve night.
What are the lyrics of ‘Auld Lang Syne?’
The full, original lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne” extend much further than what is normally sung at New Year’s Eve parties in the U.S., where just the first verse and the chorus will normally suffice:
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
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Editor’s note: This story originally published in 2021.
Contributing: Lori Grisham, USA TODAY
Follow Jay Cannon of USA TODAY on Twitter: @JayTCannon.
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