The Federalist BY: CHERYL MAGNESS
Gathering around a piano and singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve is one thing the movies get right.
How many movies have you watched that have a New Year’s Eve scene with a group of people singing “Auld Lang Syne”? Usually badly with a drink in hand? The song has become a mainstay of cinema.
But how many people actually know the words to the song or sing it in real life? Do you?
It’s not always a good idea to copy the movies. But the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve is one thing the movies get right. The practice is generally attributed to bandleader Guy Lombardo, who on New Year’s Eve 1929 wasn’t trying to start a new tradition but just needed a musical interlude to bridge the stroke of midnight between two broadcasts. He chose “Auld Lang Syne,” already a staple of the band, and it stuck.
But what does “Auld Lang Syne” mean? “For auld lang syne” (the part everyone knows) translates, roughly, to “for old times’ sake,” which is what makes the song so well-suited for New Year’s Eve. The full poem, while commonly attributed to the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796), was not solely written by him but came from a combination of older sources and Burns’ creative contribution. The tune that we now sing it to, named “Auld Lang Syne” after the text, was not the original tune used for the text. But as an easy-to-sing pentatonic (five-note) melody with a simple rhythm, it is well-suited for group singing. Over time, the melody has moved from using the pure pentatonic scale (consisting of only the unaltered first, second, third, fifth, and sixth notes of the scale) to one with alterations that introduce half steps and harmonic interest.
Many a Weary Foot
But it’s the words — the poetry — that so perfectly suit this song for New Year’s Eve.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and good old times?
For old times since, my dear,
for good old times,
we’ll drink a cup of kindness yet,
for good old times.
And surely you’ll have your pint cup!
and surely I’ll have mine!
And we’ll drink a cup o’ kindness yet,
for good old times.
Who among us does not resonate with the need to share a “cup of kindness” with loved ones as we reflect on the blessings and struggles of the past year? Who has not trod “many a weary foot” while dealing with worries about jobs, finances, children, parents, health, the economy, the mess of a country we live in, or the state of the world? Who has not experienced “seas” of distance, time, or death separating us from the people we love? Who does not long to sit and hold the hand of a “trusty friend” who gets us, really gets us, and loves us anyway?
“Auld Lang Syne” has claimed its place in history because it captures the deepest of human longings — the need for community and connection and someone to tell us everything is going to be all right…
READ FULL ARTICLE HERE… (thefederalist.com)
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