“Auld Lang Syne” is the song commonly sung at New Year’s Eve celebrations and is adapted from a Robert Burns poem.
The title uses Scots words meaning roughly “old long since,” or more naturally, “for old times’ sake.” The lyrics remember former friendships and shared experiences, making the song a fitting choice for a year that has ended.
Robert Burns wrote down and adapted versions of the words in the late eighteenth century. The song’s melody became widely established through printed collections, and the tune spread internationally during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Guy Lombardo and his band helped make the song a New Year’s standard in North America through their annual radio and later television broadcasts. Many people know only the first verse and chorus, and performances often vary in pronunciation and tempo. Although strongly linked with midnight, the song is not an official anthem of Scotland or a universal requirement of New Year celebrations.