Auld Lang Syne: World Prepares To Mumble Along To New Year’s Eve Song

It’s that time of year again. You know, the time of year to sing that song you can’t really remember with the words you don’t really know. At the strike of midnight this year, people around the country will start to sing Auld Lang Syne. Well, at least they’ll try to.

A survey conducted at the end of 2011 found that 37% of the population don’t know a single word of Auld Lang Syne while 75% of the population can’t make it threw a full verse.

So, in order to limit the mumbling on New Year’s Eve, here are the words to Auld Lang Syne.

“Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old 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 slopes,
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 us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.”

Got it? No? It’s ok. Just sip on your champagne and smile like the rest of us.

The words to Auld Lang Syne may not be known by many but even those who can sing their way all the way through the song are still left baffled by the song’s meaning. In the movie When Harry Met Sally Billy Crystal even ponders the question: “What does this song mean?”

Crystal says:

“My whole life, I don’t know what this song means. I mean, ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot?’ Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances. Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot them?”

According to Yahoo, the title of the song translates to “times gone by.”

It was written by Robert Burns in the 1700s and didn’t become a New Year’s song until the 1920s when it was playe on the radio at the strike of midnight. Of course, most people know the song from White Christmas.

Are you going to sing Auld Lang Syne tonight? Are you going to make an effort to memorize the words or, you know, just drink, mumble and be merry?