This winter I've been writing a lot about music. I did a column on "Hymns of Gratitude" for Thanksgiving and two columns on Christmas carols — one about my favorites and a second about yours.
But New Year's Day presents a problem.
There may be hundreds of Christmas songs, but people usually think of only one New Year's song — that old work horse, "Auld Lang Syne." Even then, people can't remember enough of the words to make it all the way through ("Let's hoist a cup of la-la-la-la in shades — or days, whatever — of Auld Lang Syne.)
But, as my father-in-law would say, I'm here to tell you that we sing dozens of songs about New Year's all the time.
For New Year's isn't about the end of the old. It's not even about rebirth and regeneration. Those themes belong to spring.
New Year's Day is about "do overs," about having the chance to put our mistakes behind us and take another run at things. And in that light, any song about repentance, recommitment or resolve is a New Year's song.
On New Year's Eve, instead of standing around singing a song we don't know in bad Scottish brogue, we could sing a few tunes about finding fresh energy and determination.
How about a rousing chorus of Bing Crosby's "High Hopes" to go along with his "White Christmas?" Or maybe a few bars from "Let There Be Peace on Earth." "This Little Light of Mine" would also fit.
And when the mood grows more serene, there's a full kettle of fine hymns about leaving our mistakes behind and carrying on.
In that vein, "Amazing Grace" becomes a New Year's hymn. And though we often sing "Come Let Us Anew" at Thanksgiving, Charles Wesley actually wrote it for a New Year's watch-night service.
Come, let us anew
Our journey pursue
Roll round with the year,
And never stand still
Till the Master appear
The last half of the second verse would be a real kicker:
The millennial year
Rushes on to our view
And eternity's here.
In the end, then, unlike Christmas songs and Easter songs, New Year's songs are not about a particular event. They're about a particular attitude. Any song that prods us to let go of our errors and push on is fine for New Year's. "Come, Come Ye Saints," at the right time and place, is a New Year's song.
As for other upcoming winter holidays, unless a stellar groundhog song pops up, I plan to move away from doing music columns for a little while.
At least, that is, until Valentine's Day.
e-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com