Back in the 1930s, if you weren’t swinging to the sounds of Guy Lombardo and his band on New Year’s Eve then you were at the wrong party.
This Canadian-born bandleader is the man responsible for indelibly etching the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” into our North American hearts and minds as a beloved New Year’s Eve tradition.
It was through Lombardo’s annual live radio and television broadcasts from New York City on New Year’s Eve that we came to know and love this song that pays tribute to friendships and times of long ago.
Some 80 years later we still link arms and raise our voices to sing “Auld Lang Syne” at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. We remain connected to this song despite the many years and musical styles that have come and gone since Lombardo’s dance band popularity was at its peak.
Yet we are more connected to this song than recent history. It was penned in 1788 by Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet, and put to the music of an old folk song. Burns’ song became entrenched in Scottish culture with the singing of it on Hogmanay, as New Year’s Eve is called in Scotland. This tradition eventually spread across Britain and, later, to other parts of the world.
Now, here we are, at the beginning of 2012 — the year the Mayans say will be the end of the world as we know it — and we are still singing “Auld Lang Syne”. We are still giving tribute to the people we’ve met in the past; some still with us, some sadly gone. Heck, I’ll bet there are even some we are glad to be rid of.
And with each voice raised in unison to the song’s familiar strains, we continue to acknowledge times long past; both good and bad, whether fondly remembered or best forgotten. Our singing of “Auld Lang Syne” gives a tip of the hat to them all.
Still, it leaves me wondering, how can one song have such long-lived popularity?
Perhaps it is because the song strikes upon one of the most important common chords of human nature: the chord of connection.
Isn’t it true that we long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, whether it is our family, school, community, country, or world? Doesn’t our fascination with Facebook and Twitter prove our seemingly never-ending desire for connection?
Although it’s an old song, “Auld Lang Syne” is still relevant today as it deals with our basic need for connection to people and events.
Yet this song, a poem set to music that has withstood the test of time, is about more than the powerful force of connection. It’s also about honour and forgiveness. At least that’s what toasting people and events from the past with “a cup o’ kindness” means to me.
And, what better way to begin the New Year than with a fresh start as the lyrics of “Auld Lang Syne” suggest? With the slate wiped clean of old grievances, with the memory of loved ones past being honoured, and with those still around us acknowledged as cared for, it’s no wonder there are always a few tears shed at the singing of this song on New Year’s Eve.
Then there is the symbolic linking of arms for the last verse, reminding us we are all in this world together. And if we sway back and forth to the music with linked arms in a circle, we are reminded that we are a product of our past as much as our present, as the circle implies there is no clear beginning or ending to our connection in this life.
And, if one person should stagger whilst swaying in the circle, as can happen after one too many glasses of bubbly, we are gently reminded of the support and security that we often unknowingly, yet always generously, provide one another.
It’s hard to believe that just one little song can wrap up so much big stuff in just a few lyrics. Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? A heartfelt rendition of “Auld Lang Syne”, reminding us of our wonderful connection to each other and the world — now that’s in our best interest.