“It did so much for me and for him. It was such a big hit, he stayed 10 more years”: Paul Anka on how My Way indefinitely postponed Sinatra’s retirement

Paul Anka has performed My Way, the standard he wrote for Frank Sinatra, at a post-premiere event at the Toronto Film Festival for a new doc about the veteran Canadian singer-songwriter, entitled Paul Anka: His Way.

At the celebratory dinner, Anka recalled that. in 1968 Sinatra, had confided in him that he was thinking of retiring. “I’ve had enough,” he reputedly said, before telling Anka he intended to record one more album and adding: “You never wrote me that song.”

Anka had already acquired the rights to Comme D’Habitude, a French language song that had been a big hit earlier that year. Suitably inspired by Sinatra’s talk of imminent retirement, he dashed back to New York and penned the English lyrics. The following day at dawn, the songwriter - then only 28 - phoned Sinatra to say that he had his song.

Frank Sinatra - My Way (Live At Madison Square Garden, New York City / 1974 / 2019 Edit) - YouTube

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Sinatra recorded it at the end of 1968 and it would become a huge sleeper hit, eventually clocking up 122 weeks on the UK chart - the longest run of any hit in the pre-streaming era - even if it never rose any higher than Number 5. It’s since gone on to become a modern standard, a staple at karaoke sessions and (especially) funerals, to the point of cliché and beyond.

As for Sinatra’s retirement, that became indefinitely postponed: he continued recording albums right up until the mid-1990s.

“It did so much for me and for him. It was such a big hit, he stayed 10 more years. Show’s you what a hit record will do,” Anka said after My Way’s huge success.

Incidentally, the other songwriter who attempted to turn Comme D’Habitude into an Anglophone hit was a young David Bowie, who in early 1969 had just one flop album to his name. His version, entitled Even A Fool Learns To Love, didn’t even get released.

But his next single was Space Oddity. Sliding doors n’ all that…

David Bowie Demo For Frank Sinatra - Even A Fool Learns To Love - YouTube

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Quite spectacularly awful, isn’t it?

Paul Anka: His Way is directed by John Maggio and traces the Canadian performer’s eight decade career. Musing on his long life and its lessons before his performance, the 83-year-old said: “It comes down to a simple question, folks, of what really, really matters. It all comes to an end - wealth, fame and power - it will all shrivel. It will not matter what you own.

“What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.”

There’s no release date yet for Paul Anka: His Way. Expect it to land sometime in 2025.