Three Favorite Versions of "My Way"
Frank Sinatra's original "My Way" is, in modern terms, a song about a stubborn old man preparing for the end of his life, reflecting on his journey with deep emotion; it's quite sophisticated.
It is a late-career hit for Sinatra, who reigned over Hollywood while rumored to have ties to the mafia, embracing both the clean and the dirty. (Perhaps because I've heard those scandals) I feel a certain dark intensity and withered sorrow in it. I can't help but be reminded of the horse scene in the movie The Godfather.
Even though it sounds withered, this voice is the very same voice that sang the theme songs for movie soundtracks during his glamorous era. That voice has graced the opening of countless films. When he sings with that voice, "I've had my fill, I've lived my life my way, I have no regrets," there's nothing to say but that the old man is cool.
Sinatra's My Way (Spotify Link)
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Actually, I used to hate every version of "My Way" other than this original one.
In particular, I hated the ones where Japanese middle-aged men would sing it at karaoke, clearly falling in love with their own singing voices; I felt like punching them if I could.
Those who worked as salarymen in the late Showa era will understand, but there was a time when karaoke was unavoidable in business.
During the bubble era, if a boss said, "Alright, let's go out for a drink," you couldn't refuse, and we would often drink until 2 or 3 a.m. on weekdays for no reason. We'd eat somewhere for the first round, then head to the snack bar (is that word dead now?) that the boss frequented for the second and third rounds. There was always karaoke there.
They were there, you know. The old men singing "My Way" with deep emotion in English. Well, they had lived their lives putting their bodies on the line while running through the high-growth period, so they probably had their own deep thoughts, but their singing lacked Sinatra's intensity. It had the sorrow of a salaryman, though.
Since they sang in English, many of them were old men who had done international business, but surprisingly, they were often timid and helpless when meeting foreigners for work; the only time they could assert themselves powerfully in English was at the end of this song, "I did it my waaaaay."
I would secretly think to myself, "You guys might be the international types who studied abroad or had three-year overseas assignments, but I've been out there since I was young, backpacking and engaging in grassroots international exchange with people from various countries, putting my body on the line. The times are different; we don't sing 'My Way'." Out loud, I would say, "Wow, as expected of you, Section Chief! Your English is excellent."
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It was around that time, I think, when I saw it on TV or heard it on the radio, and the fixed image I had of this song was shattered by this version of "My Way" sung by Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols.
I didn't particularly like or dislike punk, but this was shockingly good.
An anarchic "My Way" that seemed to destroy the stiff, old-fashioned, existing concepts. It starts with a slow, mocking way of singing, and halfway through, it kicks in with punk-like bass and drums. Strangely, the defiant singing voice seemed to conversely highlight the beautiful melody that the original song possesses.
Sid Vicious's My Way (Spotify Link)
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And finally, to conclude this "passionate talk about three songs," is the Gipsy Kings' Spanish version of "My Way," "A Mi Manera" (In My Own Way). To be precise, there is a separate Spanish version that translates the original lyrics directly, but this one has completely different lyrics.
These lyrics are about a broken heart, saying that since the lover who dumped you won't come back, you should look forward to new encounters. It's not a very cool story. But when the Gipsy Kings sing it with their raspy voices, there's a coolness like "we are wandering gypsies," and I loved the "Lai-la-la-lai" at the end because it was Latin and cool in a cheesy way.
Gipsy Kings' A Mi Manera (My Way) (Spotify Link)
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