How did the song happen?
I am sure everyone knows the name Robert Burns – also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard – was a Scottish poet and a lyricist.
He sent a copy of the original song to the British Museum with the following comment:
“The following song, an old song, of the olden times, and which has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man’s singing , is enough to recommend any air.”
This is the song that is now traditionally sung on New Year’s Eve all over the world. The tradition cannot be solely attributed to Robert Burns, but rather Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo who first performed with his orchestra at midnight on January 1, 1929 in Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. From that point on, Guy Lombardo and his orchestra played to song every year until 1979 and then the song was played each year as a part of the Times Square “ball drop”.
And now you will be able to sing the entire song to welcome 2010:
AULD LANG SYNE
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pou’d the gowans fine.
We’ve wandered mony a weary foot,
Sin’ auld lang syne.
We twa hae sported i’ the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin’ auld lang syne.
And ther’s a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine;
We’ll tak’ a right good willie-waught,,
For auld lang syne.
My best wishes to you, your family and friends for 2010!
