Almost Time for Auld Lang Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" is a strange wee tune, isn't it? This song is a poem written, or more accurately, collected by Robbie Burns in the 1780's. But what does it mean anyway? Well, for starters it might help us to understand if we actually used the right lyrics. That's always been one of those little nit-picky things that's got on my Englishman's nerves since I came to this country - to hear tunes I grew up with sung with altered lyrics, such as "Ring A Ring O' Roses" being sung as "Ring Around The Rosy". There's also the thing where Christmas carols that were familiar to me being sung with different tunes. "Away In A Manger" and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" are the two that immediately spring to mind. But I digress. (Copyright me, 2009).

The lyrics to the first verse of Auld Lang Syne that are used in this country are as follows:

Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne.

"Auld Lang Syne" literally translates from the Old Scots as "Old Long Since", meaning "long, long ago."  Burns' original first verse is:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?


Why the addition of "days of"? It's completely superfluous.


And the complete rewrite of the rest of it is just out of sheer desire to make it accessible to the uneducated masses of the Western world, as far as I can see. Here's the lyrics to the original:

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
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.

CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS
We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS


What in the blue blazes is all that about, I hear you cry? Well, here's the literal translation.



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.


CHORUS


Now, here's the Westernized version, as performed by The Barenaked Ladies:

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 here's the hand, my trusty friend
And gives a hand of thine
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For 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.


Heavily shortened. My goodness. About the only American artist I can think of that had the raw nerve to sing the original Scots version (and even then, not in its entirety) was Billy Joel (you'll find it on his 2000 Millenium Concert CD - Disc 2, track 6). Rock on, Billy.

Now, as you know, today is New Year's Eve. In Scotland it is known as Hogmanay. This has its roots as far back as the Norse celebration of the Winter Solstice and the Gaelic celebration of Samhain, a sort of crossover harvest/New Year thing. In most of Scotland, and some parts of England, the most widespread practice is a thing known as 'first-footing' where just after midnight on January 1 the first guest in the house brings a symbolic gift, such as salt, whisky, coal, shortbread or black bun (a rich fruit cake - and we all know, I like fruit cake, not fruitcake). Each of these represents a different sort of good luck which is intended to last through the whole year. Then they all eat and drink and party.

Anyway, with the old Year drawing to a close (and good riddance, I might add), and the New Year already on the horizon, may I present you with one last Christmas tune...



And a New Year/Christmas tune from the one and only Bobby Darin.

Christmas Auld Lang Syne - Bob...

Ciao, folks. See you on the flipside.