We sing it every December 31st. Frank Capra used it in just about every movie he ever made. It's one of the few songs you can name that just about everyone knows.

So, since we'll all be singing it around midnight tonight, I have a bit of trivia about the song and a video of a very talented gentleman by the name of Kev Thompson singing the song with the true melody.

What? We don't sing the right melody? Nope.

I performed this song at the Burns' Supper last year. It's so hard to sing the correct melody when you've been singing the melody we all grew up with!

First of all, the lyrics were written by the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

Here are Burns' original lyrics:

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

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.

1. "Auld Lang Syne"  roughly means "days gone by"

2. Burns' peom had at least 5 verses and different lines in each chorus.

3. The melody is even older than the poem. It was not uncommon in those days to use a well known melody to another song. They didn't call it "sampling', though. Our own "Star Spangled Banner" is set to the tune of an old drinking song.

4. The song became a New Year's tradition very quickly in Scotland, England and Wales. As Scots immigrated, they took the song all over the world.

So, here is Kev Thompson's beautiful version of "Auld Lang Syne" with the correct melody.

Kev is a great guy and you can find other videos of his on YouTube

 

 

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