Frank Sinatra, born in the early 1900s in humble New Jersey beginnings, went on to become one of the most famous American singers and actors of all time. Known for his velvety, smooth voice and timeless hits such as “New York, New York” and “Fly Me to the Moon,” he also lit up the screen in several successful films, including “Paris When It Sizzles” and “It Happened in Brooklyn.” For generations, Ol Blue Eyes (as he was affectionately known) has delighted audiences, and his impact on pop culture can still be felt today on stage and screen by countless other performers. However, in what is arguably one of his biggest hit songs of all time, “My Way,” Sinatra almost passed on recording it.
Why Frank Sinatra Almost Didn’t Record “My Way”
Among the big-name stars, famed singer and songwriter Paul Anka wrote music for one of the most notable figures, Frank Sinatra. In particular, the 1969 song “My Way,” which Anka re-translated from a French song called “Comme d’habitude,” is one of Sinatra’s biggest hits. However, the song was almost never recorded by Sinatra, and the reason may surprise even his most ardent fans. The fascinating backstory of “My Way” first drew major attention in 1968 when a well-known music publisher approached David Bowie with the tune, which had then been primarily known under its French name. The goal was to turn the song into English; however, although Bowie rewrote and recorded his own version titled “Even a Fool Learns to Love,” it was not released, and the track was subsequently shelved. While Bowie would later draw inspiration from the song to pen and release another track titled “Life on Mars,” it was Anka who fought to lay claim to the song.
The track continued to lay on the back burner until one fateful evening when Anka met up with Sinatra for dinner. During their meeting, Sinatra told a surprised Anka that he was planning on retiring. “I’m quitting the business,” stated Sinatra to Anka. “I’m sick of it; I’m getting the hell out.” Unperturbed by Sinatra’s surprising confession, Anka later got to work on the lyrics and melody to “Comme d’habitude” to fit Sinatra’s voice and style. “At one o’clock in the morning, I sat down at an old IBM electric typewriter and said, ‘If Frank were writing this, what would he say?’ And I started, metaphorically, ‘And now the end is near,” revealed Anka. After the song was finished, Anka stated that he called Sinatra and told him about it, insisting that he record it. He later added that his own music company was unhappy with his decision to give away the song to Sinatra rather than record it himself. Reluctantly, Sinatra recorded “My Way” and released it as an LP and single, which quickly became a smash hit in the US and abroad. Sinatra’s daughter would later reveal that despite the song’s massive success, Sinatra hated it. “He didn’t like it. That song stuck, and he couldn’t get it off his shoe….He always thought that song was self-serving and self-indulgent.”
The “My Way” Cover That Paul Anka Once Revealed He Hated
Sinatra wasn’t the only famous singer to sing a rendition of “My Way.” Stars such as Sid Vicious and Elvis Presley also covered the track. However, according to Anka he wasn’t too happy with Presley’s rendition. In Anka’s 2013 autobiography, aptly titled “My Way,” Anka revealed the story behind Presley’s cover. ”Those words mean so much to me. Boy, I want to do that song one day,” Anka says that Presley told him. Anka continued that despite his reluctance to let Presley sing it, Presley covered it anyway. Anka wrote , “In the end, that song and those words had resonance for him but not in the way I intended. Given Elvis’ pathetic state at the end, it was in the opposite sense that those words had for Sinatra. There was nothing defiant or heroic about Elvis at that point.” Much like how “My Way” impacted Sinatra’s career significantly, so too did it for Presley’s. In 1973, the rock n roll legend performed his rendition in a now-iconic performance in Hawaii.
