Auld Lang Syne
Anthem to the New Year

Nowadays many cultures follow the New Year's stroke of midnight with the song "Auld Lang Syne." Early versions of the song came from medieval Scotland... the Gaelic lyrics reflected hope, companionship, and the uncertainty of life in those times. The phrase "auld lang syne" translates literally to "old long ago," and is meant as a nostalgic reference to so-called good old days. The first published version of the lyrics were written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in the 1700s. It wasn't until the 20th century that the song gained popularity as an anthem to the new year.

Saxophones

Guy Lombardo popularized the familiar saxophone rendition in 1939. He first broadcast it on his radio special, The Lombardo New Year's Eve Party, which started in 1929 and is the longest-running annual program in radio history. Lombardo died in 1977, but his saxophone rendition of Auld Lang Syne has immortalized him in western culture, becoming the definitive song of the new year.

A New Millennium

Holiday music shoppers have requested updated versions of the classic for years, but no one has answered the need. Until now. "Auld Lang Syne - The Ultimate New Year's Eve Celebration" is the first new collection of all-new arrangements of the song in decades. Recorded by some of the nation's top musicians, this CD launches the new year in style.

Download & Hear Samples >>

Auld Lang Syne - Lyrics

As updated for the new Millennium by:
Annette Rios, Edie Zuvanich,
Jaime Cabrera & Steve Hostak.

Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

The new year brings us hope for peace,
A new day for mankind,
Where we can all live hand in hand
And leave all hate behind.

For auld lang syne, my dear.
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

When dreams they seem so far away,
Your soul can feel so low.
But love is never far away;
Your heart won't be alone.

Let's make a world where people care,
A world that knows no fear,
Where we can open up our hearts
And hold each other dear.

Our children grow, they need to know
The Future's theirs to hold.
If we can teach them how to love
Then the world can carry on.

For auld lang syne, my dear.
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

These lyrics featured on the track
“Anthem to the New Year”
Listen or utilize for your next celebration

Historical Overview of New Year's Eve

The "Old" New Year

Celebration of the new year is recognized world-wide as one of the oldest holidays in existence, though traditions at such celebrations have varied heavily over the centuries. Different cultures have practiced different extremes of celebration for the holiday. We can safely say that the biggest New Year's partygoers seem to have been the Ancient Babylonians, who marked the occasion with an 11-day festival!

When is it?

The exact date of the new year hasn't always been agreed on. Starting around 2000 BC, the Babylonians (and then the Romans) celebrated the new year on what is now March 23. Almost all of the western world currently uses the Julean calendar, put in place by Julius Ceasar in 46 BC. He established January 1st as the start of the year and let the previous year drag on by 445 days, to correct the Roman calendar and synchronize it with the position of the Sun. The choice of January 1st as the start of the year was somewhat arbitrary... it has no astronomical or agricultural significance.

Blasphemy!

In the first few centuries AD, the Romans continued celebrating the new year with long festivals while an early Catholic church condemned it as paganism. The church remained opposed to the holiday through the middle ages... and as a result, western culture has only recognized the holiday for the last 400 years or so. Even now, many Christian denominations observe the holiday only as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision.