New Year's Eve (songs) (Please bring to class on Monday)

New Year's Eve Songs
Welcome 2010 !

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What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

THERE ARE TOO MANY Christmas songs to count and more are written each year. From carols to pop, from bluegrass and Country to Rock, and even Hip Hop, Christmas songs number in the thousands. But oddly New Year's hasn't caught the fancy of composers, or their songs just never caught on with the public.
    So far as I know, apart from Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne," there are just two New Year's songs with some recording history, and just one that is truly a standard. That's Frank Loesser's timeless, "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" which has been recorded by almost every vocalist who matters. We'll hear two recordings of the song, and one with the relatively unknown verse, since it's often dropped in recordings.
    (The verse was part of the song in a Broadway musical intended to be a bridge between talking and singing, sung in "parlando" or sing-talk style. Because of time constraints of commercial radio, singers usually dropped the verse on their pop records to insure airplay.)
    Its composer, Frank Loesser was a Broadway show composer (music and lyrics), whose greatest work was Guys and Dolls (available in its film version in our library). The Broadway show musical (1920-60 in its classic years) is one of America's great contributions to 20th century culture  and is open to appreciation for anyone who cares.

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{verse}
When the bells all ring and the horns all blow And the couples we know are fondly kissing. Will I be with you or will I be among the missing?

{chorus}
Maybe it's much too early in the game Ooh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same What are you doing New Year's New Year's eve? Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's eve Maybe I'm crazy to suppose I'd ever be the one you chose Out of a thousand invitations You received Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance Here comes the jackpot question in advance: What are you doing New Year's New Year's Eve?

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

This song, by the Swedish Rock group ABBA, has charted in several countries and in different languages, including Spanish ("Felicidad").

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No more champagne and the fireworks are through. Here we are, me and you, feeling lost and feeling blue. It's the end of the party and the morning seems so gray. So unlike yesterday now's the time for us to say
Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have a vision now and then of a world where every neighbor is a friend. Happy New Year, Happy New Year may we all have our hopes, our will to try if we don't we might as well lay down and die you and I.
    Sometimes I see how the brave new world arrives and I see how it thrives in the ashes of our lives. Oh yes, man is a fool and he thinks he'll be okay dragging on feet of clay, never knowing he's astray. Keeps on going anyway.
    Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have a vision now and then of a world where every neighor is a friend. Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have our hopes, our will to try. If we don't, we might as well lay down and die, you and I.
    Seems to me now that the dreams we had before are all dead, nothing more than confetti on the floor. It's the end of a decade. In another ten years time who can say what we'll find? What lies waiting down the line in the end of '89.
    Happy New Year, Happy New year, amy we all have a vision now and then of a world where every neighbor is a friend. Happy New Year, Happy New Year, may we all have our hopes, our will to try. If we don't we might as well lay down and die, you and I.

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IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

This song, made famous by Frank Sinatra in his twilight years, is essentially valedictory, a farewell to a life full of romances. It has since become identified with the New Year season. The singer reflects on earlier periods of his life (17, 21, 35, old age), each period defined by a different kind of romantic encounter.
When I was seventeen It was a very good year It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights We'd hide from the lights On the village green When I was seventeen When I was twenty-one It was a very good year It was a very good year for city girls Who lived up the stair With all that perfumed hair And it came undone When I was twenty-one When I was thirty-five It was a very good year It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls Of independent means We'd ride in limousines Their chauffeurs would drive When I was thirty-five But now the days grow short I'm in the autumn of the year And now I think of my life as vintage wine from fine old kegs from the brim to the dregs
And it poured sweet and clear It was a very good year (It was a mess of good years.)

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AULD LANG SYNE

This song is universally played, not only on New Year's but on other memorial occasions or celebrations, such as Graduation Day. The Scottish poet, Robert Burns notated a Scottish folk tune, with verses, and added some of his own. Commonly only the refrain is sung. The song is loosely translated as "For Old Time's Sake" or "Days of Long Ago."
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never be 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 tak a cup o' kindness yet, for days of  auld lang syne.

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