The History of Auld Lang Syne
The soundtrack to the ball drop and midnight kisses, Auld Lang Syne is the quintessential New Years song. Learn how this Scottish poem became a holiday tradition, what the lyrics mean, and how the instantly recognizable melody has shifted over the years.
Transcript
How did singing “Auld Lang Syne” become a New Year’s Eve tradition? The song was first transcribed by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788, but the song itself probably dates back much further. Burns collected traditional Scottish songs and edited them in order to polish and preserve them. “Auld Lang Syne” was most likely inspired by several sources … such as works by Scots poets Robert Ayton and Allan Ramsay. The poem was first written in the Scots language. The title means “old long since” or, “for old time’s sake.” Burns originally set the song to a more traditional Scottish melody than the one we sing today … but in 1799, his publisher set the song to today's tune. In 1929, “Auld Lang Syne” started to become popular North America … when band leader Guy Lombardo played it on New Year’s Eve radio (and eventually television) broadcasts. Today, the song has been translated into more than 40 different languages …
and all over the world people ring in the new year with this traditional Scottish song.
