Why does “Auld Lang Syne” always play on New Year’s Eve?
Once the hysteria over Christmas songs dies down after Dec. 25 every year, not many New Year’s songs take their place. “Auld Lang Syne” will still play countless times on New Year’s Eve, however, even though most people don’t know what it means, where it came from, or the basic pronunciation of the lyrics.
According to Britannica, the name is taken from a phrase written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in the late 1700s.
There is no direct connection to the turning of the calendar on New Year’s Eve, but it became associated with the holiday gradually throughout the 20th century. Canadian musician Guy Lombardo first popularized it in North America.
Why does “Auld Lang Syne” play on New Year’s Eve?
Could the average person celebrating the New Year’s Eve countdown in Times Square pronounce the name of the song that plays every year when the ball drops at midnight? My guess would be no.
Can the masses of people packed into crowded bars in Center City Philadelphia after the Mummers Parade do anything besides hum the melody? Probably not.
Behind the sound of noise makers and fireworks at midnight on New Year’s Eve, you will actually hear some very interesting lyrics.
“Should old acquaintance be forgot/ And never brought to mind?/ Should old acquaintance be forgot,/And auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my jo,/For auld lang syne,/ We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,”
The title phrase translates directly to “old long since,” which can loosely be understood as “for old time’s sake” in modern English.
The thought of sharing a drink with old friends to pay tribute to old times lines up perfectly with the mood of a very happy bar crowd in Philadelphia every January 1st.
“And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!/And surely I’ll buy mine!”
When you hear the sentimental melody this New Year’s, impress your friends with a quick history instead of making it an afterthought.
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