"Auld Lang Syne" lyrics

"Auld Lang Syne"

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

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

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

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Written by honored Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796), the lyrics are based upon a lost Scots folk song and the music (perhaps not that originally intended by Burns) is based on another folk melody. The song became associated with Hogmanay (New Years) celebrations in Scotland, and is now linked with the holiday throughout the English-speaking world, and elsewhere. In this context, it is customary to sing only the first two stanzas of the song.


"Auld Lang Syne" sung by Guy Lombardo


"Auld Land Syne" sung by Susan Boyle

Holiday Gift Wrap

It's never too early to start planning for the holidays, especially if you are a store or business looking to buy xmas wrapping paper. Check out santagiftwrap.com for all the best Santa Claus wrapping paper designs, from folksy to funny. They'll have you humming your favorite holiday classic. Yeah santa gift wrap, you deserve your scotch and crackers!

Song for Cinco de Mayo: "Buenos Tardes Amigo" by Ween

What a Cinco de Mayo song by Ween!

The world's favorite faux-brother duo put their 8th-grade-level Spanish to good use with the brilliant "Buenos Tardes Amigo" from their incomparably brown Chocolate and Cheese album. This is an easy song to cover, but the three chord ditty (Am-G, a little Dm) builds from a simple Spanish guitar riff into a bedlam of revenge and perfidy, with an ending to challenge the Beatles' "Day in the Life."

Great listening for Cinco de Mayo.

Listen to "Buenos Tardes Amigo"


Lyrics to "Buenos Tardes Amigo" by Ween

Buenas Tardes Amigo
Hola, my good friend
Cinco de Mayo's on Tuesday
And I hoped we'd see each other again

You killed my brother last winter
You shot him three times in the back
In the night I still hear mama weeping
Oh mama, still dresses in black

I looked at every fiesta
For you I wanted to greet
Maybe I'd sell you a chicken
With poison interlaced with the meat

You...you look like my brother
Mama loved him the best
He was head honcho with the ladies
Mama always said he was blessed

The village all gathered around him
They couldn't believe what they saw
I said it was you that had killed him
And that I'd find you and upstand the law

The people of the village believed me
Mama...she wanted revenge
I told her that I'd see that she was honored
I'd find you and put you to death

So now...now that I've found you
On this such a joyous day
I tell you it was me who killed him
But the truth I'll never have to say

Buenas tardes amigo
Hola, my good friend
Cinco de Mayo's on Tuesday
And I hoped we'd see each other again
Yes, I hoped we'd see each other again

(Avoid playing this in Arizona, stupid racist flyover state.)

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon

It has been about three decades since John Lennon was assassinated in New York City, but his music remains as relevant as ever. This stirring anti-war Christmas ballad has become a mainstream holiday song, despite its somewhat bleak lyrics and protest message.

By 1971, when "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" was recorded, Lennon was already a well-known spokesman against the Vietnam War and war in general. He had previously launched a billboard campaign in cities around the world using the slogan "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko."

The lyric to "Happy Xmas" intersperses a bleak assessment of the years concluded and to come with the sincere, uplifting choral refrain "war is over, if you want it" (sung by the Harlem Community Choir). The combination makes for an eloquent statement of Christmas sentiment, with an acknowledgement that there are things which cannot yet be celebrated. Although the song never made an impact on the US singles chart, and reached its highest UK chart position (#3) in 1980, following Lennon's assassination, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over) has become a Christmas standard. It has been covered by many acts, some of whom shamefully omit the "war is over" lyric, destroying the Christmas message of the song.

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon


Lyrics to "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
(Lennon/Ono)

(Happy Christmas, Kyoko
Happy Christmas, Julian)

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas (war is over)
For weak and for strong (if you want it)
The rich and the poor ones (war is over)
The road is so long (now)
So happy Christmas (war is over)
For black and for white (if you want it)
For yellow and red ones (war is over)
Let's stop all the fight (now)

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas (war is over)
And what have we done (if you want it)
Another year over (war is over)
And a new one just begun (now)
And so this is Christmas (war is over)
And we hope you have fun (if you want it)
The near and the dear ones (war is over)
The old and the young (now)

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now

(Merry Christmas! Happy Christmas!)

Official video for "Happy Xmas (War Is Over" (embedding disabled)

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) lyrics

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon

"O Come All Ye Faithful" ("Adeste Fideles")

Although there are contradictory accounts of the song's origins, "O Come All Ye Faithful" was most probably written by John Francis Wade in around 1743. Originally penned in Latin (as "Adeste Fideles"), it has been suggested that the song was a coded tribute to the Jacobite pretender to the English (close to Angels) throne, Bonnie Prince Charlie.

"Adeste Fideles" gained great popularity in the English Catholic community and extra Latin verses were added to Wade's original four. Many translations of "Adeste Fideles" have been rendered in English as "O Come All Ye Faithful, often with some of the verses omitted. This is a commonly used version:

"O Come All Ye Faithful" Lyrics

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him! O come, let us adore Him!

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,

Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;

Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

Refrain

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;

O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

Refrain

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,

Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;

We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;

Refrain

Lo! star led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,

Offer Him incense, gold, and myrrh;

We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations.

Refrain

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,

We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;

Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

Refrain

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be glory given;

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

Refrain

"O Come All Ye Faithful remains a much-loved Christmas carol, performed by pop stars and church choirs alike.
Here is a classic choral version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" by the choir of King's College, Cambridge:


Irish vocal artist Enya performing "Adeste Fideles" in the original Latin:

"Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley

With "Blue Christmas" the greatest solo performer of rock 'n' roll brought his enviable crooning abilities to an unconventional Christmas tune. Written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and first recorded by country-western performer Ernest Tubb in 1948, the lyrics of "Blue Christmas" are not standard "rock around the Christmas tree" or "god bless you merry gentlemen" fare. In his unique style, Elvis Presley communicates a Christmas story of longing and heartache more familiar to country music than rock 'n' roll or carols. The song has been recorded by numerous acts since Elvis included it on his 1957 Christmas album, but the King's version remains the standard.

Video for "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley:


Ernest Tubb's 1948 recording of "Blue Christmas":


Cover of "Blue Christmas" by Bright Eyes:

Lyrics to "Blue Christmas"

Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson

I'll have a blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue just thinking about you

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me

And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'

That's when those blue memories start callin'

You'll be doin' alright with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

You'll be doin' alright with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

I'll have a blue Christmas that's certain

And when that blue heartache starts hurtin'

You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas

alternate verse:

(I'll have a blue Christmas I know dear

I hope your white Christmas brings you cheer

And when you say a pray on this Christmas Eve

Will you feel the same dear as when you prayed with me)