“Auld Lang Syne” is the New Year’s Eve song with lyrics based on a poem by Robert Burns.
Burns wrote down and adapted the Scottish poem in 1788, drawing on older Scots verses and oral traditions. The title means “old long since,” or more naturally, “for old times’ sake.” Its words ask whether old acquaintances and shared memories should be forgotten.
The melody commonly used today was paired with the words in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century, although the tune’s exact history is debated. The song became especially associated with New Year’s celebrations through Scottish communities and later through international broadcasting.
Many people know only the opening line or chorus, and performances often vary in tempo and pronunciation. It is not exclusively a New Year’s song: it is also used at farewells, graduations, memorials, and other transitions. The familiar midnight performance is therefore one prominent use of an older Scottish song.