Frank Sinatra's hit song "My Way" was almost performed by the English version's lyricist, Paul Anka.
Although "My Way" was originally written in French, the English version by Sinatra scored the most attention that it dominated several charts, including US Billboard Easy Listening, Canada RPM Easy Listening, and IRMA, among others.
Other musicians also performed the track, including Dorothy Squires, Elvis Presley, Sid Vicious, and Yuko Kayama. But before they released the renditions, the English version's lyricist almost sang it instead of Sinatra.
Why Paul Anka Gave "My Way" to Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra's "My Way" was based on the French song, "Comme d'habitude," which translates to "As Usual." The original lyrics talk about a couple falling out of love due to a mundane relationship.
Anka explained how he came up with the English lyrics through his 2013 book, "My Way: An Autobiography." Instead of the lyrics, he revealed that he became more intrigued by the track's melody, and he ended up acquiring the rights to the song and writing the new lyrics.
Instead of performing it, he gave the song to Sinatra, which soon became a hit pop song.
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"Hanging out with Sinatra and knowing what he was about, the song came out of that. Everything in that song is him. I loved him," he said. "I could never have set it up as he did. It was written for Sinatra and it went to him first - no one else heard it."
Anka recalled RCA being furious at that time as they questioned his decision to give the song to Sinatra. Still, he insisted on his wish and asked the recording company to forget everything since the only person who could sing it was the late singer.
He admitted to not thinking he could pull the song off, saying it would not have the same impact that Sinatra gave it.
Paul Anka Still Sang "My Way"
Although Anka did not share his version of "My Way," reports confirmed that he recorded the track and even had a version with Andrea Bocelli and Michael Bublé.
More artists covered the song, including Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious, and Seth MacFarlane. But after hearing the versions, Anka and the fans knew only Sinatra's version left a massive mark on the listeners.
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