Auld Lang Syne

should probably more appropriately be titled: “That New Year’s Eve Song That No One Knows The Words To Or The Title”. Auld Lang Syne is actually a Scottish song, originally written by Robert Burns, and first published in 1796 (after Burn’s death). Robert Burns was born Alloway, Ayrshire (in Scotland ) on January 25, 1759. Burns was a struggling poet and songwriter, and also held a career as a tax collector. A little history about the song: In the Bannatyne Manuscript of 1568 there is a song called, ‘Auld Kyndnes foryett’. The last stanza goes: “They wald me hals with hude and hatt, Quhyle I wes rich and had anewch, About me friends anew I gatt, Rycht blythlie on me they lewch; But now they mak it wondir tewch, And lattis me stand befoir the yett; Thairfoir this warld is very frewch, And auld kyndnes is quyt foryett.” This is accredited as the ‘roots’ of ‘Auld Lang Syne.’ Sir Robert Ayton (1570-1638) is credited as the author of this poem, which also was closely related: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never thought upon, The flames of love extinguished, And freely past and gone Is thy kind heart now grown so cold In that loving breast of thine, That thou canst never once reflect On old long syne It is thought that Burns used references from these poems, along with several others, to develop ‘Auld Lang Syne’. The convoluted changes in the poems/song, along with the fact that it was originally written hundreds of years ago in another language, probably attribute to the fact that “Auld Lang Syne” is probably the most misunderstood song lyrics and title of all time. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ has been called many things over the years. Here’s a short (and sometimes funny) list: Old Langs Sign Old Lang Sign Old Hang Sign Old Hag Sigh Old Langs High Old Hangs High Ol’ Hank’s High And of course: The New Year’s Eve Song The Song I We All Sing at Midnight The Song I Sing After I Kiss Some Stranger