# Christmas carols get too much attention. Let's list some kick-ass \*New Years\* songs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140 "2005-12-25T06:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/1 "2005-12-25T06:12:43Z")
Tell us why you like it. And specify the artist/version if it’s an old chestnut like Auld Lang Syne. Extra credit given for good, obscure songs. ---
**Author:** ![AFAIKnow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a6a055/32.png) [@AFAIKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AFAIKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/2 "2005-12-25T06:16:02Z")
> [@stuyguy](#): > > Tell us why you like it. And specify the artist/version if it’s an old chestnut like Auld Lang Syne. Extra credit given for good, obscure songs. You mean there is more than one? (Auld Lang Syne, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/3 "2005-12-25T06:27:38Z")
I wouldn’t lump it into the “kick ass” category by any means, but I recall that Barry Manilow did “Another New Year’s Eve” back in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/4 "2005-12-25T06:30:10Z")
> [@AFAIKnow](#): > > You mean there is more than one? (Auld Lang Syne, of course.) Well, right off the top of my head there’s _What Are You Doing New Years?_ and _The Happy New Years Blues_ (an obscure ditty that you can hear on the Broadway Christmas CD). ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/5 "2005-12-25T08:06:25Z")
Prince’s _1999_ always gets play in our house at midnight New Year’s. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/6 "2005-12-25T09:56:04Z")
While hardly traditional, one song will always have a special New Year’s place in my heart. December 31, 1998 a friend and I went to Atlanta for a New Year’s Eve show by Gov’t Mule. The opening act was the Derek Trucks Band and lots of “special guests” were on hand. Unknown to the audience, the show was being recorded and was released in '99 as **Gov’t Mule - LIVE…With A Little Help From Our Friends** , both a two CD and a four CD “Collector’s Edition”. (A milestone in Man’s cultural development, but I digress…) At midnight, the band took a couple of minutes to celebrate (baloons falling, champagne corks popping, friends and lovers kissing, all that stuff). The first song of our New Year… **Black Sabbath** ’s _War Pigs_!!! 😕 :dubious: :eek: 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/7 "2005-12-25T10:10:47Z")
Not exactly a kick-ass song, but there’s also Dan Folgelberg’s Another _Auld Lang Syne_. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/8 "2005-12-25T13:45:57Z")
I agree with **stuyguy** and “The Happy New Year Blues.” Who knew that Vicki Lewis of News Radio could belt out a blues tune like that? ABBA did “Happy New Year” and a Spanish cover, _Sunset Boulevard_ has “The Perfect Year” with an excellent German version by Helen Schiedner as “Die Gutest Jahr.” But the best is Jim Laev’s “The Next New Year.” I can’t find a link to the lyrics, but the version the cast of “Caberet” does on the first [1999 Carols for A Cure](http://store.yahoo.com/broadwaycares/cdh060.html) CD defines the term “Kick-Ass”: The next new year is happening right now. The next new year I can start over again somehow The next new year it’s like having steak Or maybe tak- ing on the whole damn cow. Cause the best part of the next new year is it’s here. One for every day it is here. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/9 "2005-12-25T13:56:40Z")
I vote the best “What Are You Doing This New Years Eve” to be Rufus Wainwright’s, as heard years ago in a GAP commercial snippet, and just finally released in full on his mother’s [The McGarrigle Christmas Hour](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000B9EYD4/qid=1135518968/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-9720227-0625629?v=glance&s=music&n=507846). ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/10 "2005-12-25T15:17:55Z")
I’ve been listening to a lot of U2 lately, so I nomimate their song “New Year’s Day”…kind of a grim song, but Starbuck’s had it in their holiday mix, I noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/11 "2005-12-25T20:12:43Z")
“The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/12 "2005-12-28T13:32:03Z")
This thread is dying from post-Christmas Day neglect. Give me the paddles. Clear! BUMP! ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/13 "2005-12-28T17:17:04Z")
Ella Fitzgerald’s version of “ **What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve** ” just started playing on my iPod, and it’s the song I came into the thread to vote for. Creepy. 😉 [sings along] Maybe I’m crazy to suppose I’d ever be the one you chose Out of the thousand invitations you’ll receive Ah, 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? [/sings along] I _love_ this song! I also have Harry Connick Jr.'s version of it, but no one beats Ella. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christmas-carols-get-too-much-attention-lets-list-some-kick-ass-new-years-songs/337140/14 "2005-12-28T17:51:23Z")
> [@Tracy Lord](#): > > Prince’s _1999_ always gets play in our house at midnight New Year’s. The Mike Flowers Pops covered this one well.