Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintaince be forgot
And auld lang syne.

chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

And surely you'll be your pint stowp
And surely I'll be mine,
And we'll drink a richt guid willy waught
For auld lang syne.

[chorus]

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine,
But we've wandered monie a wearie fit'
Since auld lang syne.

[chorus]

We twa hae paidled in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine
But seas a'tween us braid hae roared
Since auld lang syne

[chorus]

And here's a hand my trusty fere
And gie's a hand o' thine
And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

[chorus]

Words and original music: Robert Burns

See also [5.2] for more information on Burns and this song. See [12.16] for info on Hogmanay / New Year customs

The original music for Auld Lang Syne is available at the following locations

http://www.siliconglen.com/culture/songs.html

http://www.siliconglen.com/culture/auldlangsyne.html

http://www.contemplator.com/tunebook/scotmidi/auldlng2.htm

You can also hear the traditional version of the song in the movie Sex and the City, see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GYCZGwUZuw

Story behind the song

Info from Mairi Campbell: Robert Burns first heard Auld 'Lang Syne sung by an old man in Dumfries. Burns added two maybe three verses to the original and sent the song to his publisher. Thomson ( publisher) suggested they change the tune to the one we know today...but the first tune is not forgot. In 1990 David Francis heard it sung by Kathleen Robertson at a ceilidh in Garlogie, Aberdeenshire and it stuck in his mind. When Dave Francis and Mairi Campbell began playing music together as The Cast, Dave suggested that they might learn this song and put it on their first album The Winnowing. The best way to understand the song is to imagine it's two friends talking to each other.

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