Guy Lombardo - Auld Lang Syne

[dhermann1]

I had always thought the singing of Auld Lang Syne dated to the early 19th century. This implies otherwise. Anyway, I am saddened by how this tradition is pretty much defunct nowadays. There's something sort of thoughtful about singing Auld Lang Syne (even if you don't know what the words mean) that seems appropriate to marking the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/30/a-new-years-gig-1765-miles-from-the-waldorf/?hp

 

[B. F. Socaspi]

It dates to the late 1700s. It did take a while to get across the Atlantic, but it was sung here, too, before Mr. Lambardo.

 

[MisterCairo]

Auld Lang Syne is, of course, based for the most part on the Robbie Burns poem, itself a combination of lyrics to an old folk song and Burns's own composition:


Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
and surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu’d the gowans fine ;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary foot,
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS
We twa hae paidl’d i' the burn,
frae morning sun till dine ;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin auld lang syne.

CHORUS
And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere !
and gie's a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Lombardo was not the first to use the song as a New Year's Eve tune, but he is certainly the most famous. London, Ontario is justifiably proud to call Guy of their own.


Funny, I've never heard of London, Ontario referred to as a "Scottish settlement", but here's a brief history of the lovely city I went to university in (Guy Lombardo's birth is mentioned as a notable event):

http://www.londonhistory.org/jstime.htm

The band name "The Royal Canadians" was Lombardo's reference to the London, Ontario based army regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment. He adopted the name in response to a request for the band to appear more "Canadian", with the original suggestion being to dress up like Mounties!