The Chairman didn’t need much persuasion to record the tune and, on December 30, 1968, he went into a Los Angeles recording studio to put his indelible mark on it. Rather than translate the original French words, Anka wrote a new set of English lyrics for the song. Canadian singer-songwriter and former teen heartthrob Paul Anka (of “Diana” and “Lonely Boy” fame) heard the song while on vacation in France and was inspired to adapt it for Sinatra, who had told him he was thinking of quitting the music business. With its balance of vulnerability and egotism, heartbreak, and bravado, “My Way” was seemingly tailor-made for Frank Sinatra, but it was, in fact, a version of a tune called “Comme D’Habitude” that was first recorded in 1967 by its co-writer, French singer Claude François. Since then, countless “My Way” covers have been recorded, with everyone from Elvis Presley to Sid Vicious resonating with Sinatra’s timeless version. In March 1969 Frank Sinatra released a single that would become regarded as one of his signature tunes: “My Way,” an anthemic ballad in which the song’s aging protagonist reflects on his life and its achievements.
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