In 1969, Frank Sinatra recorded the song, “My Way,” written for him by Paul Anka. It became his best known iconic single and his unofficial theme song. At 54 years old, Sinatra had a lot of swager, which is reflected in the lyrics of the song. At the time, he told Anka, “I’m quitting the business. I’m sick of it. I’m getting . . . out.” And he seemed to sing it as though this was more of a kiss-off than a send-off.
Consider some of the lyrics:
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
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
You might notice phrases such as: “But through it all, when in doubt, I ate it up and spit it out.” Or, “And may I say, not in a shy way,” I did it my way.” Or, “And not the words of one who kneels, The record shows I took the blows and did it my way.
With these words, I am reminded of the parable of the rich man (Luke 12:16-20) who had too much food (harvest) to fit in his barn. But rather than see if he might help anyone in need, he chose to build bigger barns – and do it “His Way.” He too had swager. “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
But don’t despair – there is another side to “My Way,” we will look at next time.