Volume V, song 413, page 426 - 'Auld lang syne' - Scanned...
Volume V, song 413, page 426 - 'Auld lang syne' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld land syne!' Chorus: 'For auld lang syne my jo, For auld lang syne, We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet for auld lang syne.' 'Auld lang syne' refers to old friendships or days gone by. Interestingly, Johnson includes a note stating that some prefer to sing kiss instead of cup in the line, 'We'll tak a cup o' kindess yet'.
The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition.
Whilst these words were famously written or adapted by Robert Burns, another version of 'Auld lang syne' (song 25), with words by the Scottish-born poet Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), has also been included in the 'Museum'. Although many different versions of 'Auld lang syne' exist, and the origins of the song are somewhat unclear, it is this version associated with Burns that is known and loved the world over. As Donald A. Low, in his introduction to the 'Scots Musical Museum', so aptly wrote, ''Should auld acquaintance be forgot' ('Auld lang syne') has become not only a Scottish but a universal song of parting'.
Volume V, song 413, page 426 - 'Auld lang syne' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)