Auld Lang Syne: New Year’s Eve Song Lyrics a Mystery to Most


At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s eve, most people will kiss, hug, and sing a stirring rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Well, about a quarter of us will. The rest will just kind of just mumble along to the tune and what Auld Lang Syne even means.

A recent poll found that 37% of the population doesn’t know a single word of Auld Lang Syne, while about 75% can’t make it through a full verse. According to the Daily Mail, the origins of the song are even more of a mystery. One in 10 people under the age of 25 believe that either Elvis Presley or Paul McCartney wrote the words.

Isn’t that ridiculous? Elvis? Oh wait, you don’t know who wrote it either…. Auld Lang Syne was written by Robert Burns in 1788.

So most people don’t know the lyrics or the origins. OK. Understandable. It is a really old song. What about the meaning of the title? According to the survey, nearly two thirds of people did not know that Auld Lang Syne roughly translates to “As Time Goes By.”

So if most people don’t know the words but most people still sing the song. what do they do on New Year’s eve. According to the survey, which was conducted for the new movie “New Year’s Eve,” most people decide to hum the tune when their memory fails them. Some, however, are able to improvise.

A common and incorrect verse of Auld Lang Syne goes: “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and something else that rhymes. Should old acquaintance be forgot. Something Auld Lang Syne.”

Do you know the words to Auld Lang Syne? Will you be singing it on New Year’s Eve?

Here are the lyrics to 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 tak 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 tak a cup o’kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
Sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin’ auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie’s a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Happy New Years!

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