We associate New Year’s Eve celebrations with champagne, gag glasses from the dollar store, and late-night parties, but there aren’t many songs specific to the last holiday of the year—besides “Auld Lang Syne,” of course. Now, you can certainly queue up 50 versions of the same traditional folk tune (here are some of our favorites if you decide to do that, by the way).
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But what about New Year’s Eve affirmation songs that aren’t “Auld Lang Syne”? From the hopeful to the sardonic, we’ve rounded up five of the best affirmation songs to meet you wherever you are this holiday season.
“This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies
Tucked into the B-side of the Zombies’ massively influential 1968 album Odessey and Oracle is an optimistic tune perfect for ringing in the holiday: “This Will Be Our Year.” The track bestows well wishes upon its listeners with a jangly 1960s vibe, beginning, The warmth of your love is like the warmth of the sun, and this will be our year, took a long time to come. Whether celebrating with friends, family, or a romantic partner, the lyrics of this song fit perfectly for New Year’s Eve.
But even if you aren’t celebrating on December 31, “This Will Be Our Year” is still a touching testament to hope in the face of previous hardships. You don’t have to worry, the song continues in the second half, all your worried days are gone. This will be our year, took a long time to come, and I won’t forget the way you held me up when I was down.
“All the Best” by John Prine
Leave it to John Prine to write a breakup song that is somehow just as kind as it is cutting. While he might have written this song about a relationship, we think it’s a worthy contender for our list of New Year’s Eve affirmation songs for its hopeful refrain (and the references to the past Christmas season). I wish you love, I wish you happiness, I guess I wish you all the best, he repeats throughout the song.
There’s plenty of country heartache thrown in, too: I guess that love is like a Christmas card. You decorate a tree. You throw it in the yard. It decays and dies and the snowmen melt. Well, I once knew love; I knew how love felt. Despite the pain, Prine swings his message back to the positive side. I got no hate, and I got no pride. Well, I got so much love that I cannot hide.
“I Wish You Well” by Bill Withers
If you’re looking for the same kind of New Year’s Eve affirmations as John Prine’s “All the Best” but without the undertones of heartache (we get it), there are few songs that fit the bill better than Bill Withers’ “I Wish You Well” from his 1975 album, Making Music. With its infectious soul beat and Withers’ distinct voice, the song is another track that fits in multiple occasions, whether a party on the night of December 31, a wedding reception, or a birthday playlist.
After all, who wouldn’t want to wish such nice things upon those you love? I wish you good friends that always treat you fair, wanna wish you ribbons to tie around your hair, I wish you truckloads of cheer and many happy years, Withers sings in the second verse. He continues in the third, Wanna wish you freedom to do the things you love, wanna wish you blessings and kindness from above.
“After The Storm” by Mumford and Sons
Mumford & Sons’ 2010 debut Sigh No More became so popular that it almost fell out of public favor for its ubiquity, but we’d argue that there are plenty of bangers on that first album that deserve love all these years later. One of those songs is “After the Storm,” the A-side closer that also serves as a perfect New Year’s Eve affirmation song. This track is a musical tribute to overcoming hardships and finding the silver lining in even the stormiest of rain clouds.
There will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears and love will not break your heart but dismiss your fears, the chorus repeats. Get over your hill and see what you find there with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair. Whether you’re entering the new year hopeful or hesitant, this early aughts track provides an ideal musical toast to better times ahead.
“It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M.
Maybe the events of the past twelve months (or more) have made you feel somewhat cynical about the new year ahead. With a constant 24-hour cycle of bleak world news, the stress of modern life, and whatever other grievances you might be carrying with you into the new year, celebrating New Year’s Eve can sometimes feel a bit naive or superfluous. But who says those kinds of NYE festivities shouldn’t have good songs on deck?
For the somewhat sardonic New Year partier, we recommend R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” You know the one. Sure, life might seem desolate on a grand scale, but life might seem pretty alright in the comfort of your home, your favorite watering hole, etc. What better way to ring in the new year than singing, It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine?
Photo by Stanley Bielecki/ASP/Getty Images
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