Same Old Lang Syne: Dan Fogelberg’s Gift to Christmas

Dan Fogelberg was from the Peoria, Illinois area, but he always seemed to be a Coloradoan- at least to me. He always came across as this guy who grew up in The Rockies, right? He did have a place in Nederland that he bought when he was 22, and he had a wedding in Pagosa Springs; that makes him ‘Coloradoan’ enough for me.

Dan passed away due to prostate cancer on December 16, 2007 at the age of 56. Dan didn’t have any kids, but he did leave behind a legacy of great songs. You don’t hear much of those songs on the radio anymore though, until Christmas.

That’s when a lot of stations, like TRI 102.5, play ‘Same Old Lang Syne.’

I remember my mom getting misty whenever she’d hear Bing Crosby’s ‘White Christmas’. I have the same reaction to ‘Same Old Lang Syne.’ Each year, when TRI 102.5 starts playing Christmas music, I always like to take note of where I am and what I’m doing when we play it for the first time. ‘Mainline. Kickoff night’ is what I have logged for 2015.

‘Same Old Lang Syne’ peaked at #9 when it came out in 1981.  It still gets a lot of airplay at Christmas, but only on stations like TRI 102.5. Country stations aren’t going to play it. Top 40 stations aren’t going to play it.  TRI 102.5 playing the song is another reason why I think we are a GREAT radio station.

The song is sad and sweet. Christmas Eve, two old lovers happen to meet and then drink beers in a car while catching up, then go back to their new lives. It could happen to anyone. In fact, it did happen to Dan-

From Wikipedia-

On December 24, 1975, they were each back in Peoria with their families for Christmas when Jill went out for eggnog and Dan looked for whipped cream for Irish Coffee. The only place open was a convenience store at the top of Abington Hill. They bought a six pack of beer and drank it in her car for two hours while they talked.

Pretty cool, right?

The fact that Dan passed away so close to Christmas, makes the song even sadder.

'Same Old Lang Syne' will live on forever.  When it’s time for Christmas music, you’ll hear Gene Autry, Brenda Lee, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams and Dan Fogelberg. I think that’s awesome.  Heck, maybe it doesn’t even play in other states like it does here.  I have no idea.  I live in Colorado. I spend my Christmases in Colorado. And that’s just fine.

I found this video for the song. The gang that made it said, ‘It seems like there was never an official video for this most excellent holiday song. We set out to fix that’. I think they did a good job. They were all probably babies when the song came out! It's Hard To Say, but I don't think they were even old enough to drink when they made it (watch the bottles!) And wait for the saxophone player at the end!

Do you have a favorite Christmas song?