" Auld Lang Syne " ( : note "s" rather than "z") is a Scottish poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many English-speaking countries and is often sung to celebrate the start of the new year at the stroke of midnight at the start of New Year's Day.
The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago" or "days gone by". The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.
History
Robert Burns sent a copy of the original song to the Scots Musical Museum with the remark, “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". Some of the lyrics were indeed "collected" rather than composed by the poet; the ballad "Old Long Syne" printed in 1711 by James Watson shows considerable similarity in the first verse and the chorus to Burns' later poem. It is a fair supposition to attribute the rest of the poem to Burns himself.
There is some doubt as to whether the melody used today is the same one Burns originally intended, but it is widely used both in Scotland and in the rest of the world.
Singing the song on Hogmanay or New Year's Eve very quickly became a Scots custom that soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. As Scots (and other Britons) emigrated around the world, they took the song with them.
Canadian band leader Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularising the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and television, beginning in 1929. The song became his trademark. In addition to his live broadcasts, Lombardo recorded the song more than once. His first recording was in 1939. A later recording on September 29, 1947 was issued as a single by Decca Records as catalog #24260.
However, earlier newspaper articles describe revellers on both sides of the Atlantic singing the song to usher in the New Year:
- "Holiday Parties at Lenox" (Massachusetts, USA) (1896) – The company joined hands in the great music room at midnight and sang “Auld Lang Syne” as the last stroke of 12 sounded and the new year came in.
- "New Year's Eve in London" (London, England) (1910) – Usual Customs Observed by People of All Classes… The passing of the old year was celebrated in London much as usual. The Scottish residents gathered outside of St. Paul's Church and sang “Auld Lang Syne” as the last stroke of 12 sounded from the great bell.
A manuscript of "Auld Lang Syne" is held in the permanent collection of The Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Lyrics
As detailed above, auld lang syne literally means "old long since", but a more idiomatic English translation would be something like "long long ago", "days of long ago", or "olden days". "For old times' sake," or "to the (good) old days," or "To days(or times) gone by" may be modern-day expressions, in common use as toasts, that capture the spirit of "for auld lang syne". Although the song begins with a question whether old times should be forgotten, the song is generally interpreted as a call to remember long standing friendships. Thomson’s Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.
Most common use of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words "For the sake of" or "And days of", rather than Burns' simpler lines. This allows one note for each word, rather than the slight melisma required to fit Burns' original words to the melody.
dine = dinner time
Melody
The tune to which "Auld Lang Syne" is now universally sung is a pentatonic Scots folk melody, probably originally a sprightly dance in a much quicker tempo.
English composer William Shield seems to quote the "Auld Lang Syne" melody briefly at the end of the overture to his opera Rosina , which may be its first recorded use. The contention that Burns borrowed the melody from Shield is for various reasons highly unlikely, although they may very well both have taken it from a common source, possibly a strathspey called The Miller's Wedding or The Miller's Daughter . The problem is that tunes based on the same set of dance steps necessarily have a similar rhythm, and even a superficial resemblance in melodic shape may cause a very strong apparent similarity in the tune as a whole. For instance, Burns' poem Coming Through the Rye is sung to a tune that might also be based on the Miller's Wedding . The origin of the tune of God Save the Queen presents a very similar problem and for just the same reason, as it is also based on a dance measure. (See the note in the William Shield article on this subject.)
Songwriter George M. Cohan quotes the first line of the "Auld Lang Syne" melody in the second to last line of the chorus of You're a Grand Old Flag . It is plain from the lyrics that this is deliberate.
Use
At New Year
"Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung each year at midnight on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Malta, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Zimbabwe, and English-speaking areas of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and signifies the start of a new year.
In Scotland, it is often sung at the end of a céilidh or a dance. It is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards with hands still joined. Outside of Scotland the hands are often crossed from the beginning of the song at variance with Scottish custom.
The Scottish practice was demonstrated by the Queen at the Millennium Dome celebrations for the year 2000. The English press incorrectly berated her for not "properly" crossing her arms, unaware that she was correct.
Other than New Year
- In the United Kingdom, it is played at the close of the annual Congress (conference) of the Trades Union Congress.
- In many Burns Clubs, it is sung at end the Burns supper.
- The song is sung at the end of the Last Night of the Proms by the audience (rather than the performers) and so it is not often listed on the official programme.
- The song is played at the Passing Out Parade of Young Officers in the Royal Navy as the march up the steps of the Britannia Royal Naval College. The song is played at the beat of slow march after the tune "Will ye no come back?". The song is also played at the Graduation Parade of the Royal Military College of Canada and the Royal Military College (Malaysia).It is also played at the beat of slow march, while cadets at the National Defence Academy (India) ( http://nda.nic.in ), Indian Military Academy (India) Gentleman Cadets Passing out as Commissioned Officers graduate out of the portals of the Chetwode Drill square after successful completion of Military service training.
- In the United States, the song is used as a song of remembrance at memorial events. The University of Virginia's alma mater ("The Good Old Song"), the anthem of Alpha Kappa Psi, Beta Theta Pi's "Parting Song" and Phi Sigma Kappa's "Initiation Hymn" are all sung to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne".
- Since 2007, the melody has been used as an introduction to the mass chorus of America the Beautiful that is played by the twelve finalist corps at the Finals Retreat at the Drum Corps International World Championships. Coincidentally, "Auld Lang Syne" and "America the Beautiful" have the same metre, and the lyrics can be sung interchangeably.
- The song is the official corps song for the Kilties drum and bugle corps.
- The song is sung at the end of a party/cèilidh/event, while everyone in the room form a circle, hold hands and do a routine dance to the song.
In non-English speaking countries
- In Thailand, it is used for Samakkhi Chumnum (Together in unity), sung after sports, or in boyscout jamboree. At New Year the melody is used with words. The meaning is about the unity for Siam and the King of Siam. There, it is commonly believed to be a Thai traditional song.
- In Pakistani Military, the band plays this song during the graduating parade of the recruits, and in Pakistan generally it is sung (or the melody played) at farewell events.
- In Bangladesh and Bengali parts of India, the melody was the direct inspiration for the popular Bengali song "Purano shei diner kotha" (Memories of the Good Old Days) composed by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and forms one of the more recognizable tunes in Rabindra Sangeet (Rabindra's So
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