Auld Lang Syne - History and Origin of the New Year's Song

Click here if you'd rather go straight to the Auld Lang Syne lyrics

"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 few other Robert Burns writings:
O, My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose
To a Kiss
Robert Burns Love Letter

Back to a little more history about the Auld Lang Syne 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 of alternate names for the oftne mis-pronounced song title - Auld Lang Syne:

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