We all know and have been hearing the popular Christmas, Hanukkah, and general Holiday Music of the season. But are there songs to celebrate the New Year?
Yes! Perhaps not as many as the vast Christmas repertoire, but one does leap to mind: Auld Lang Syne.
You’ll hear this when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve behind Andy and Anderson. I admit, I’m more familiar with the melody than with the lyrics. And what does the title mean anyway?
Auld Lang Syne, from the Scots, literally translated means “old long since”, and more poetically means something like “days gone by”. It’s a song that bids farewell to the old times but promises to remember them fondly, and continue to toast to them.
The first verse (the one we all mostly know) is credited to James Watson in 1711. We think that Robert Burns amended the lyrics a bit in 1788, and then wrote 4 more verses. Here are Watson’s and Burns’s verses side by side so you can compare:
| James Watson | Robert Burns |
| Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,and never thought upon;The flames of Love extinguished,and fully past and gone:Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,that loving Breast of thine;That thou canst never once reflectOn old long syne. | Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and auld lang syne? |
So I hope that you will enjoy the sheet music above, maybe sing it with your family this New Year’s Eve, and to help you out with that, here are the rest of the verses! We at Music Lab Woodland Hills wish you all the very best for 2023!
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
Chorus
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
and surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
~Chorus~
We two have run about the hills,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
~Chorus~
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
~Chorus~
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.
~Chorus~