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I just watched
It's A Wonderful Life for like the hundredth time when I got home, and the song in the concluding scene "Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot" is sung by the attending crowd. I could never fully get the words just listening to it, but with text captions, you can finally understand the old English/Scottish words of the song.
And here's Wikipedia explaining the context :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne- The poem's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since" or, less literally, "long long ago",[6] "days gone by", "times long past" or "old times". Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for the sake of old times".
The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570–1638), Allan Ramsay (1686–1757), and James Watson (1711), as well as older folk songs predating Burns.[7]
In modern times, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "in the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "once upon a time" in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.[8]
With the words to the song shown in four different dialectic versions, as it evolved over the last 300 years or so.
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
Chorus
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you'll buy your pint cup!
and surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Chorus
We two have run about the hills,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we've wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.
Chorus
We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.
Chorus
And there's a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o' thine!
And we'll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.
Chorus
I love the Frank Capra-directed movies, in particular
Mr Smith Goes To Washington(1939),
Meet John Doe (1941), and
It's A Wonderful Life (1946).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Smith_Goes_to_Washingtonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meet_John_Doehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_LifeSomehow
Meet John Doe is not as well known as the other two, but it's an under-rated classic. Fantastic performances by Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, and even by all the forgotten bit players. One of my favorite movies.
Even in what are retrospectively perceived to have been more optimistic times of the 1930's/1940's (although they were actually very desperate times) , while the film for the most part keeps an up-beat perspective, it explores the opposing dark forces of political power and corruption and media narrative control. Where Gary Cooper's character despite his own desperation and cynicism transcends it to become an almost messianic Christ-like figure. And after an apparent fall, achieves something of a resurrection at film's end,
Made in 1941 at the heart of the Great Depression, the film somehow has lapsed into public domain, and you can watch it for free on Wikipedia (linked above) and elsewhere.