This week's song is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed and written by French songwriters Claude François and Jacques Revaux, performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its English lyrics were written by Paul Anka and are unrelated to the original French song.
Here is the song for this week;
"My Way"
The French version tells the story of a man, living out the end of his marriage, love killed by the boredom of everyday life.
Paul Anka discovered this song while visiting France and re-wrote the lyrics as "My Way" when he returned to New York. Anka says it was 3 a.m. on a rainy night when the words came to him. Anka, who was a very popular singer, pitched the song to Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on December 30, 1968. Anka's lyrics changed the meaning to be about a man looking back fondly on a life he lived on his own terms, and Sinatra's version became one of his signature songs.
This became Frank Sinatra's signature song, but he couldn't stand it, saying he "loathed" the song. In his later years, he described the song as "a Paul Anka pop hit which became a kind of national anthem." In a 2000 interview with the BBC show Hardtalk, Sinatra's daughter Tina said, "He always thought that song was self-serving and self-indulgent. He didn't like it. That song stuck and he couldn't get it off his shoe."
A song of individuality and aspiration, there is a scientific explanation for why it has triggered such a strong emotional reaction despite the rather pedestrian lyrics and silly rhymes (losing/amusing, curtain/certain). The song starts with a rising 6th progression, which indicates striving. It builds in intensity and powers to a big finish, which Sinatra could really sell with his declaration, "I did it my way."
This is a very popular Karaoke song, but one you should probably avoid in The Philippines. As detailed in a February 6, 2010 article in the New York Times, many violent incidents have taken place following Karaoke performances of "My Way." Karaoke is very popular in that country, and there is a certain etiquette which tends to break down when patrons choose this song, sometimes resulting in fights that can escalate quickly. The bravado of the song may have something to do with it, but whatever the cause, most Filipinos will avoid the song, and many bars don't offer it on their playlists.
The song was a favorite of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic. He often played it in his cell at a loud volume during his trial for crimes against humanity in 2002.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder requested "My Way" for his final send-off (Zapfenstreich in German) prior to the inauguration of Angela Merkel. More than seven million television viewers watched tears well up in his eyes as a military band saw him off with a version of this song.
Donald Trump's first dance as president of the United States was to this song. On January 20, 2017, the night of his inauguration, he danced to it with his wife Melania at the Liberty ball, his second of the evening. Trump was never seen dancing on the campaign trail, with good reason: he is very awkward on the dance floor. Despite sticking to a basic side-to-side shuffle, he still managed to look pained, as did Melania. Midway through the dance, he called his vice president, Mike Pence, to join him with his wife, Karen. At this point, Trump did more waving and gesturing than dancing.
Two days earlier, Nancy Sinatra was asked on Twitter what she thought of Trump using the song. Her reply: "Just remember the first line of the song."
That first line is: "And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain."
Here are the 6 versions I picked for you;
- Nina Simone - "My Way"
- The Sex Pistols - "My Way"
- Miley Cyrus - "My Way"
- Robbie Williams - "My Way"
- Shirley Bassey - "My Way"
- Elvis Presley - "My Way"
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