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If you’re like us, you’re going to go to a New Year’s Eve party tonight, and as soon as the calendar turns over, somebody will inevitably start slurring the tune “Auld Lang Syne” because they thought they heard it in a movie or something (perhaps “200 Cigarettes” was on TV earlier in the day). But people very rarely nail down the correct melody, nor do they know all of the words. And what does “Auld Lang Syne” even mean?

Glad you asked! It began as a poem written by Scotland’s Robert Burns (pictured!) in 1788 (with a few of the lyrics cribbed from a James Watson ballad from 1711 called “Old Long Syne”). The tune is a traditional Scottish folk song, and it quickly gained popularity in the U.K. as a song sung at the end of the year as well as at funerals. As Brits emigrated to other parts of the globe, the tradition spread, and took hold in the United States as early as 1896. It didn’t become a popular American staple in this country until band leader Guy Lombardo played the tune during his year-end radio broadcast in 1929.

The title of the tune literally translates to “Old Long Since,” though people readily accept “Long Long Ago” or “In Olden Times” as reasonable transpositions. The first verse goes a little something like this: “Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?/ Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?/ For auld lang syne my dear/ For auld lang syne/ We’ll take a cup of kindness yet/ For auld lang syne.” That second part is actually the chorus, but it usually just gets treated as another verse.

So enjoy this particular version of the song or fire up one yourself (it helps if you have bagpipes or a pump organ), and raise your glass to a successful 2009 and an even better 2010.

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It’s New Year’s Eve, which means that there are only hours left in 2009. No matter what you’re doing today, be sure to take time to reflect on everything you accomplished in the past 12 months and everything you hope to get done in the coming year. Sure, getting together with your friends, popping champagne and kissing somebody special at midnight is important (and fun!), but don’t forget reflection. It’s good for you!

If you’re anything like us, you’ll be spending New Year’s Day watching “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years,” one of the best rock docs ever made. (It’s a crime that it’s not available on DVD, though for some reason IFC airs it every single January 1, probably because watching the frontman for W.A.S.P. literally drown himself in vodka will make most people feel better about their own hangovers.) We’ll be back Monday, January 4 with more news, interviews and insights into the world of music and celebrity, but until then, enjoy the long weekend and prepare yourself for 2010. Because if there is anything that the movies have taught us, it’s that 2010 is the year we make contact.

In the meantime, enjoy U2’s “New Year’s Day.” Bono says that nothing changes; here’s hoping that your outlook is a little more optimistic.

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Not only is the week nearly over, but the year is just about over as well. But before you drink too much cheap champagne, dress a baby up in a sash that says “2010″ and finish that screenplay you swore you were going to complete before the decade was out, be sure to check out everything that happened this week in the MTV Newsroom. Sure, it was quiet, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t talking about news and keeping track of all the stars you love. Be safe, enjoy the long holiday weekend and be sure to check back in with us in 2ዊ.

» The week opened with a bit of melancholy, as the music world reacted to the death of singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who passed away due to a drug overdose over Christmas.

» Chesnutt wasn’t the only tragic loss this week, as the rock world was shattered by the passing of Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan.

» Those two deaths capped off a year full of sad celebrity losses, including Michael Jackson, Brittany Murphy and DJ AM.

» We also looked back on some of the images that defined the year, from the inauguration of Barack Obama to Kanye West and Taylor Swift’s little run-in.

» What will Madonna’s next album sound like? We’re not sure, but we have plenty of guesses and suggestions.

» Kelly Clarkson covered a Taylor Swift song this week, further adding to her deep bag of other people’s songs.

» Did you get LeBron James a birthday present? Knicks fans better hope he asked for a house in Westchester.

» You know who else had a birthday? Van Morrison’s new baby son.

» Kris Allen’s mother and Jim Cantiello’s virtual relationship escalated this week, and it resulted in pajamas.

» Finally, take a spin through the best Newsroom photos of the year and know that there will be much more to come in 2010.

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A decade ago, MTV played host to a slew of celebrities hanging out in Times Square to ring in the New Year. Although everyone was there to party, the big question was: Is the world going to end tonight? The Y2K bug* was plaguing the world. Would we make it to the millennium? (Spoiler alert: We did! We made it!)

Up until those final seconds of panic, Diddy performed, as did Jay-Z and Bush (which is funny because Gwen Stefani and No Doubt were also on hand to perform), Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson cuddled and Christina Aguilera chatted with Carson Daly.

As the final countdown took place, the clock struck midnight, confetti fell and the world (obviously) didn’t end. But just in case, No Doubt was on hand to ring in the New Year with the classic R.E.M. tune, “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” How ironic! They then segued into their own tune, “Ex-Girlfriend.” The fact that the world didn’t end doesn’t leave us very much surprised, but you may be surprised to know that in 19Ƀ, Gwen Stefani had pink hair, blunt bangs and braces. We wonder what look she’ll use to ring in 2010 with?

*For those of you who may not be familiar with the problem, yourdictionary.com defines it as: “The predicted malfunction of some computer systems prior to or at the beginning of the year 2000 because of their inability to distinguish between dates in the 1900s and dates in the 2000s. This inability results from the coding of year dates in some software and chips with only the final two, rather than all four, digits.” Anyways, it doesn’t matter because it didn’t happen, but that’s what we were worried about ten years ago.

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“He was somebody who just had a warmth and an easy smile and a laugh, and he was as smart as they come. You could sit and talk to him about anything. He was expressive. He’d tell you how he felt about you — you didn’t wonder, because he’d put his arm around you. He knew how to tell his friends he loved them.”

-Avenged Sevenfold manager Larry Jacobson, speaking candidly to the Orange County Register about late A7X drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, who died earlier this week of still-undetermined causes. As we reported earlier today, the outpouring of support and sympathy for Sullivan’s bandmates, friends and family has been as overwhelming as his passing. The people closest to him got together on Monday (December 28) to share memories and stories about the drummer, an event that, according to Jacobson, ranged from “deep and somber to smiles and laughs as they began to reminisce about the experiences everybody had with him. He was a loving son and a loving brother — like no one you’d ever seen, and talented beyond people’s perception.” The band, who started out as teenagers in their hometown of Huntington Beach, were at work on their fifth full-length studio album, and though it isn’t clear how they will go about working without Sullivan, Jacobson thinks their bond will help them through such a tough time. “Never in my life have I seen a relationship like that,” he said. “And I think the relationship the four have right now will help them get through this traumatic time.”

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