The traditional New Year's Eve song beginning “Should auld acquaintance be forgot” is “Auld Lang Syne.”
The song is based on a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788. Its title means “old long since,” or more naturally, “for old times' sake.” The lyrics ask listeners to remember friendship and shared experiences from the past.
The melody and wording developed through several earlier Scottish versions, so Burns is best understood as the figure who preserved and shaped the familiar form rather than necessarily inventing every element from nothing. The song became especially associated with New Year's celebrations through performances and broadcasts in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
English-language listeners sometimes mishear the opening as “Should old acquaintance be forgot.” “Auld” means old, and “syne” refers to times gone by. Versions differ in which verses they sing, but the first line and refrain are widely recognizable.