The phrase ‘Auld Lang Syne’ itself
means ‘old long ago’, which can be translated as ‘‘days gone by’ or ‘back in
the day’. Thomas Keith, a Burns scholar,
says the song symbolises reunion – not parting, as some mistakenly believe. The song looks back over happy days from the
past, separation, then coming back together.
Keith says everybody seems to immediately grasp the family and
friendship feeling the song describes. ‘It
is something to do with that melody as well as the Burns lyrics, because the
lyrics are sometimes known and sometimes not.’
