The New Year's Eve song, explained

The US associates "Auld Lang Syne" with the New Year, but not everyone does.

After the ball drops in Times Square on New Year's Eve, the crowd cheers, couples kiss, confetti flies and the song you hear is "Auld Lang Syne." For Americans this song is associated with another year passing, but it means something else entirely in other cultures. Since the Scottish poet Robert Burns first published the words to the song in the 18th century, the melody has been adapted as a soccer ballad in the Netherlands, a graduation song in Japan, and more.

This video explains how an obscure Scottish folk tune took on new life around the world and how Guy Lombardo solidified it as the sound the US hears at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

[Vox]

Here's our last video of 2018! Happy New Year everyone 🍾✨✨

[HikariTheGardevoir]

I'm a Dutch woman studying Japanese. Can you imagine my utter confusion when I was walking through a supermarket during my exchange program in Japan, and all of a sudden the intercom started playing the melody of a Dutch football anthem to inform the customers that the supermarket was going to close soon? I only later learned the true origin of the melody.

[tcsnowdream]

Fun fact: in Japan, Auld Lang Syne is more widely used as a ‘the store is now closing’ song.

If you stay in any department store that is closing in 10-15min, this song will come on, over the PA.

[scifikoala]

This song always makes me cry, practically on command

[trexvanguard]

The real hero that made 'Auld Lang Syne' be to what it is now is the old man that sang it in which Robert Burns heard and wrote down, kudos to the old man 👍

[Allaiya.]

Hearing this song play each new year always gets me emotional especially as I get older, loved ones pass on, & friends & family move away. But we gather together again for Christmas and wish each other a new year.

[saiyajedi]

0:25 It’s not really “about fireflies” in Japan; rather, it’s about the culmination of hard work and diligent scholarship, using a famous story from ancient China. Because of that, the song (usually in 3/4 time) is used at graduations and as an auditory cue that it’s closing time at stores and whatnot.

[natashaxnichole]

I feel like no one really knows the song but we all kind of hum it and butcher the words drunkly 😂😂

[Zveebo]

In Scotland, it's sung at the end of a ceilidh (sort of traditional gathering with lots of dancing and drinking), but the sentiment is the same – a warm nostalgia for good times spent with good people – with just a hint of melancholy for the passage of time.

I'm not very sentimental, but this gets me almost every time.

[TenThumbsProductions]

I’d love a pub to bring back the everybody singing vibe

[Tony.H]

The European Parliament singing this after the Brexit deal was approved.... That was proper emotional. All those people from all nationalities singing together, bidding friends a fair farewell. I'll never forget that.

[TelzAll]

Whatever the meaning may be... this song represents the passing of a year and on to another. While not forgetting those who didn't make it, it reminds us that we still have a chance to do more and to be better.

Happy New Year everyone!

[calebking]

How beautiful to see the same sentiment express in so many nationalities. Music really does transcend.

[iparipaitegianiparipaitegi]

The French version talks about friends you are leaving, singing your hope to see them again one day: ‘it’s a goodbye, not a farewell’.

[catsadilla]

it does feel very conclusive. It's like somebody noticed the last of the guests leaving, and they converted that feeling into a song. Beautiful. Sad. Reflective.

[lilik]

6:18 "even if you don't know the words" *shows Mariah Carey* LOL

[kaguth]

I'm going to tak a right-gud willie-waught tonight.

[MathsScotland]

Auld Lang Syne is by my tiny country Scotland. It's so great when we see Scotland on a big stage like this!

[andrew]

Clicked on this because I’m Scottish and attention seeking.

[StevenHartono]

Who's still watching this in 2020?

Brings me back memories that both bring joy and pain, who can relate?