And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
[Verse 2]
Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
[Chorus]
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all, and I stood tall
And did it my way
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh, no, oh, no, not me
I did it my way
[Chorus]
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
[Outro]
Yes, it was my way
About
One of Sinatra’s most well-known songs, “My Way” is considered an all time classic. It holds the record for the most time spent in the UK top 40 singles chart at a massive 75 weeks and was also successful in the US, peaking at #27 in May 1969, and Belgium where it reached #19.
It has been covered by everyone from Elvis Presley to The Sex Pistols.
Despite its success, according to his daughter Tina, Sinatra hated the song:
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.
Written by Paul Anka specifically for Frank Sinatra, it uses the chords of “Comme d'habitude” by French singer Claude François. Anka bought the rights for this song for just one dollar. Anka described the emotional moment he heard Frank’s recording:
“I flew out to Vegas where he was at Caesars. I played it to him. I knew that by the reaction he gave me he was going to do it. I’m in New York two months later. The phone rings, Mr. Sinatra on the phone. He says, ‘Kid! Listen to this.’ Took the phone, put it up to the speaker. I heard ‘My Way’ for the first time and I started crying.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In 1969. It peaked at #27 that May.
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