What? You don't know Auld Lang Syne?

@JudyEv (363536)
Rockingham, Australia
December 30, 2017 5:51pm CST
I hope I haven’t written about this before but perhaps it’s worth repeating. In his late teens, our son was studying double bass and would play with a group whenever he had the chance. He was approached to play at a pub on New Year’s Eve with a small group of even younger teens. All went well and the crowd were rocking as the magic hour approached. At midnight there was the usual cheering, hugging and kissing then a woman wobbled up to the group and said ‘Aren’t you going to play Auld Lang Syne?’ The leader of the group looked a bit nonplussed and said they didn’t know it. The woman said ‘What? You don’t know Auld Lang Syne? Well, you must be a sh*t band.’ The photo shows our son playing in a church in New Ross, Ireland. The pianist is Phil Ware.
31 people like this
29 responses
@TheHorse (230741)
• Walnut Creek, California
30 Dec 17
Now that's a lady I would like to have known! And yes, I could fake that one on bass, even if I've never actually played it in my life. I hope your son did!
7 people like this
@andriaperry (118725)
• Anniston, Alabama
31 Dec 17
LOL
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
Damian basically knew the song but the others were a bit younger and had never heard of it. There are couple of songs every band needs to know I think. Happy Birthday is one!
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45113)
• Canada
31 Dec 17
Ouch! That was mean. Maybe she needed another drink so that she could be more jolly.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
She wasn't a happy lady, was she?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
31 Dec 17
I am prepared to guess that very few people know the words. He should have asked her to sing it.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
31 Dec 17
@JudyEv Everyone seems to know a few lines and only join in the chorus. This was the case when I was young, so has probably always been the case.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
In Australia we'd all know just the one verse as it is always sung at New Year. At least the older people would know it but perhaps not the younger ones.
1 person likes this
• China
31 Dec 17
You son is definitely an accomplished bassist.I love the song Auld Lang Syne, I played it on the violin just now.
2 people like this
• China
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv Happy New Year to you ! One of my friends wished me "Happy New Year" in Wechat and attached the video Auld Lang Syne sang by Ssisel.I was entranced by the sweetness of her voice,though I listened to it more than one time ,then I played it on my violin.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
That's nice. Was it to see in the New Year? Vince's brother played it too at midnight and we all sang. A Happy New Year to you!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
@changjiangzhibin89 I learnt violin for a very short time but didn't enjoy it one little bit!
1 person likes this
• Preston, England
31 Dec 17
it is an essential number to learn for musicians performing around midnight on New Year's Eve
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
Exactly. There are a couple of songs that are a 'must know' for bands. Happy Birthday is another.
2 people like this
• Preston, England
31 Dec 17
@JudyEv especially if you are playing shows on those occasions
2 people like this
• Eugene, Oregon
2 Jan 18
Wondering how the leader responded to that? How rude!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jan 18
He probably had another drink. Some groups are so young when they start playing cheap gigs and have so much to learn. I hope they honed up on Happy Birthday too!
1 person likes this
@Angela150 (928)
• London, England
30 Dec 17
I can't believe that they did not know Auld Lang Syne.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
I guess some of the younger ones may not have heard it but it's a New Year staple isn't it?
@silvermist (19702)
• India
31 Dec 17
That is a nice photo.I remember the verse by Robert Burns from school. Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? I think that is all I remember now.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv But here I have not come across anybody singing.May be in Bars.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
@silvermist Not at parties?
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
That's the words and the song is always sung on New Year's Eve.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Jan 18
That was rude. And to tell you the truth, I have heard that song every year for as long as I can remember, but I never knew the name of it until I was in my 20s and saw It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time. So I wouldn't know it either if it wasn't for that movie.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Jan 18
@JudyEv It does, and that is why I know the song. However, my husband who has hearing problems in one ear always plays movies with closed captioning and I noticed when they sang that song in It's a Wonderful Life, I read the words and finally realized the title was something else I have seen around.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jan 18
Isn't that interesting? It certainly usually gets a huge airing on New Year's Eve.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (145861)
• Roseburg, Oregon
30 Dec 17
What did your son do?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
It wasn't his band so although he knew it and being the bass player, he left it to the leader to sort out They didn't play it as they didn't know it. Perhaps they sang it without music.
@just4him (318791)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
31 Dec 17
I bet he knows it now. Very nice picture.
1 person likes this
@just4him (318791)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv That's a good alternative. Happy New Year!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
@just4him Thanks. And to you.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
He knew it then but the others didn't and there wasn't really time to teach it to them. The moment would have passed. They probably sang it without music.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118725)
• Anniston, Alabama
31 Dec 17
LOL. I love this! you made me laugh so hard! I will admit I do not know all the words to this song.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
We continually use the phrase now for all sorts of things. Most people would only know the first verse if they knew it at all.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Jan 18
Because every band is supposed to know EVERY song!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jan 18
Anyone playing at an Anglo-Saxon celebration on New Year's Eve needs to know Auld Lang Syne - just as anyone playing at a birthday party needs to know Happy Birthday.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Jan 18
@JudyEv - That's true.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 Dec 17
That was so mean of her. The people in the pub should have just sang it without the music, it seems that's what happens a lot anyway. Great picture of your son.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
They probably did sing it without music. Plenty of people do at New Year.
@snowy22315 (196520)
• United States
31 Dec 17
Oh my..well I guess I would have learned it.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (196520)
• United States
31 Dec 17
@JudyEv Ahh, yeah especially if you are going to be playing on New Years Eve.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
I think there are a couple of songs every band needs to learn - the National Anthem, Happy Birthday and Auld Lang Syne.
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (19087)
• Indonesia
1 Jan 18
It was the song I often heard a very long time ago. My daughters probably don't know it either.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jan 18
Some songs go in and out of fashion don't they?
@marlina (154115)
• Canada
31 Dec 17
I am more familiar with the French rendition.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
I haven't heard it in French.
@LadyDuck (483948)
• Italy
31 Dec 17
Yes, we are going to play it, but singing the Italian version instead the original lyrics of this old (auld) Scots poem.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (483948)
• Italy
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv In most European countries this is the traditional song of the last minute of the year.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec 17
I didn't know other nationalities sang it. It has certainly come down through a lot of years.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (66107)
• Centralia, Washington
1 Jan 18
Beautiful stained glass. National Public Radio had a report on Auld Lang Syn today. I've heard many renditions of that song and melody. Each one makes me weepy.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (66107)
• Centralia, Washington
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv Yes though sad.
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@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
The lyrics are lovely aren't they?
1 person likes this
@WriterAI (5373)
• Bulgaria
31 Dec 17
First: Happy New Year 2018! Good luck! Best wishes from me. I know well this song. I have graduated an English Secondary School in Bulgaria. We were taught this song. Thanks for your photo. Greetings to your son. When we were students at this school we sang this song during our English classes.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (363536)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 18
It is a very old traditional song so I guess it is not surprising that you were taught it at school.
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@WriterAI (5373)
• Bulgaria
1 Jan 18
@JudyEv That's right. I know well that this song is a very old traditional one.
1 person likes this