Comme d’habitude: The French origins of My Way
Originally sung by Claude François, a national treasure in France’s pop culture in the Sixties and Seventies, the first version of this song was called Comme d’habitude (“as usual”) and written alongside Jacques Revaux and Gilles Thibaut.
The French lyrics were completely different from the English ones we all know. If Sinatra’s version is written around a “me, myself and I” tune, the original was actually more of a love song. And a sad one, indeed. When François wrote the lyrics, he was thinking about his freshly failed relationship with singer France Gall, who left him after a long time of love turning into a plain routine – an aspect that is clearly coming out in Comme d’habitude.
Paul Anka writes the English lyrics for Sinatra
In 1968, a year after the song was published in France, popular Canadian singer Paul Anka bought the rights and decided to change the lyrics entirely, with the specific purpose of proposing it to Frank Sinatra, who recorded it right away – in one take – for it to be published the following year.
The new lyrics by Anka tell the story of a man who, as he “faces the final curtain”, looks back on his past to think of how long and accomplished his life has been. He is particularly happy that he always “did it his way”, in spite of obstacles, doubts and (a few) regrets. Sinatra, who at the time of recording was actually thinking about retiring from the music scene, never really liked the song’s lyrics, which he considered too self-centred, but his daughter Nancy convinced him that the song was actually perfect for him since in popular culture he represented the American archetype of the self-made man.
And, in fact, My Way became Sinatra’s signature piece and a timeless success in the U.S., staying on the charts for years and being widely covered by famous artists like Elvis, Sid Vicious and Céline Dion. Thanks to Sinatra, that sad French love song about a couple about to break up became an international cultural phenomenon.
My Way steals Canada’s hearts: Paul Anka’s version
In 1969, Paul Anka, the man who turned Comme d’habitude into My Way, decided to record his own version of the song, which he always considered a tribute to his friend Frank Sinatra.
Anka’s rendition contributed to the widespread popularity of the song in his country, Canada. He also recorded it four other times as a duet, performing it with Jon Bon Jovi, Gabriel Byrne, Garou and even in Spanish with Julio Iglesias.
Elvis does it his way
In the U.S., the success of My Way did not stop with Frank Sinatra: in the Seventies, the king of rock and roll himself recorded and performed his own personal rendition. The most memorable performances of Elvis Presley’s My Way took place in 1973, during his satellite show Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite and then in 1977, recorded for the Elvis in Concert special.
A completely different sound: Sid Vicious’ punk rock rendition
At the end of the Seventies, an entirely different version of My Way was released by Sex Pistols’ bassist Sid Vicious. In this punk rock sped-up rendition, most of the lyrics were changed and a lot of swear words were added by Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen to give it a more rebellious personality. And, indeed, Sid Vicious’ version is irreverent in its very nature, as you can immediately tell by the off-pitch initial verses, a clear attempt to mock Sinatra’s deep tone.
A song covered by many: the international success of My Way
Sinatra’s My Way was, as previously said, an instant success, which of course meant the song started to be covered right away. Among the most popular covers from the 1970s we can find Shirley Bassey’s, Nina Simone’s and Tom Jones’, but My Way was still going strong even in the 90s and early 2000s, when famous artists like Céline Dion and Robbie Williams performed their own versions.
But the popularity of this song was not limited to its English version. The Spanish version A mi manera, in particular, was popularised by performers like Gipsy Kings, Belle Pérez and Vincente Fernandez, and the original French Comme d’habitude was not forgotten either, revived by Michel Sardou, Florent Pagny and others. The song was played in German (So leb dein Leben) and in Italian, too (Come sempre).
An evergreen you can play with your band
If you and your band are looking for an all-time classic to add to your usual setlist, why not try your own cover of My Way? After all, it is still one of the most popular karaoke songs in the whole world, and it is often played at various events (even at funeral services, to commemorate the life of the deceased).
You don’t necessarily have to play Sinatra’s ballad-like rendition, if you think it does not match your style! On Jamzone, you can find 28 different custom backing tracks to practice with, in the style of Elvis, Nina Simone, Sid Vicious and many more.