Tonight, at thousands of New Year’s Eve parties across America, a cultural tragedy will strike along with the midnight hour.
Countdowns will end, horns and shouts of Happy New Year will ring out, and drunken revelers will launch into a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne, only to realize within a few bars that no one knows the words.
As part of its ongoing mission to help preserve civilization by educating and arming readers with useful trivia and cocktail party banter, Dateline>City of Angels is pleased to present a common United States version of Auld Lang Syne, below.
Please! Join the effort to save polite society! Memorize the lyrics, print them out, crib them on your tuxedo shirt sleeve or the back of your hand… Whatever it takes, for the sake of our children, don’t let the music die!
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and days of 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!
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for days of auld lang syne. (Chorus)
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
We’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since days of auld lang syne. (Chorus)
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since days of auld lang syne. (Chorus)
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for days of auld lang syne. (Chorus)
Some Additional Factoids…
American celebrants typically play it safe by sticking to the first two verses, but properly liquored crooners have been known to brave all five stanzas, and even the traditional Scottish version as sung by Kenneth McKellar.
The lyrics, which date at least to the early 1700s, were arranged and popularized by the Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788. Bandleader Guy Lombardo is generally credited with making the tune a modern New Year’s custom from 1929 onward. The words “auld lang syne” translate roughly as “old time’s sake.”
So there you have it — everything you need to be the life of tonight’s party.
Happy New Year!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
That song always makes me remember the old Night Gallery episode, “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar”, starring the great William Windom. Did you ever see it? This middle-aged salesman who’s being pushed out of his job by a brash young Bert Convy, and starts seeing the ghosts of his past at the bar he used to hang out in. Towards the end there’s a very haunting (yes, I said it!) rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” (though only the 1st verse and chorus – I’m sure the ghosts would have sung more if it hadn’t been for that dratted wrecking ball!).
Raising a right goodwill draught in your direction, old friend! …a bit behind on reading here, obviously, but catching up.