Frank Sinatra didn't even like the song. Honestly. Think about that for a second. The man whose entire legacy is basically tied to the defiant, chest-thumping anthem of "My Way" actually told his daughter, Tina, that he thought the song was "self-indulgent and self-serving." He grew to loathe it. Yet, here we are, decades later, and the phrase i did it on my way (or the grammatically correct "I did it my way") has become the definitive mantra for everyone from CEOs to retirees. It’s the ultimate "screw you" to the status quo. But the path that lyrics took from a French pop tune about a dying marriage to a global phenomenon is weird, messy, and arguably the greatest act of musical recycling in history.
The French Connection You Probably Didn't Know About
Before it was the anthem of every karaoke bar on the planet, the melody belonged to a French song called "Comme d'habitude," composed by Jacques Revaux and Claude François in 1967. If you look at the original lyrics, they aren't about triumph. Not even close. It’s a depressing track about a couple whose spark has died, living through the mundane routine of a failing relationship. They wake up, they drink coffee, they go to work, and they pretend everything is fine. Comme d'habitude literally translates to "as usual."
Paul Anka heard the song while vacationing in the south of France. He didn't care about the lyrics; he just loved the "feel" of it. He bought the rights for next to nothing—some reports say it was just for the publishing rights with a handshake—and flew back to New York. At the time, Frank Sinatra was ready to quit the business. He was tired. He told Anka, "I'm getting out of this. I'm quitting." Anka, sensing a moment, stayed up until five in the morning on a rainy night, rewriting the lyrics specifically for Sinatra. He used words Sinatra would use, like "eat it up and spit it out." He turned a song about a boring marriage into a song about a man looking death in the eye and saying he had no regrets.
Why the World Obsesses Over Doing It Their Way
Why does this specific sentiment stick? It’s because the song taps into a very specific type of ego that we all have. It suggests that the outcome doesn't matter as much as the autonomy. Whether you succeeded or failed is secondary to the fact that you were the one steering the ship. This resonates deeply in Western culture, especially in business and creative circles.
But there is a dark side to the i did it on my way mentality. In the Philippines, the song is so famous—and taken so seriously—that it spawned a phenomenon known as the "My Way Killings." Since 2000, at least a dozen people have been murdered in karaoke bars across the country specifically during or after performances of the song. Usually, it starts because someone is singing off-key, and the perceived "disrespect" to such a serious anthem leads to a brawl. It’s a bizarre, grim testament to how much power these specific words hold. People are literally willing to fight over the "right" way to sing about doing things their way.
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The Punk Rock Hijacking
In 1978, the song took another turn. Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols did a cover that Frank Sinatra reportedly found "disgusting." Vicious changed some of the lyrics to be more profane and sang it with a sneering, chaotic energy that mocked the very idea of the "elder statesman" reflection.
- Sinatra's version: Dignified, orchestral, slightly arrogant.
- Sid's version: Violent, mocking, and arguably more "individualistic" in a raw sense.
What’s fascinating is that both versions claim the same title. It proves the song is a vessel. You can pour your own meaning into it. For Sinatra, it was a career retrospective. For Sid Vicious, it was a middle finger to the establishment. For a small business owner today, it’s a LinkedIn post about leaving a corporate 9-to-5.
The Psychology of the "My Way" Bias
Psychologically, we are prone to something called the "Self-Serving Bias." We want to believe that our successes are the result of our own internal grit and decisions, while our failures are the result of external factors. The lyrics of the song play right into this. "I faced it all and I stood tall." It’s a narrative of resilience that ignores the luck, the help, and the timing that actually goes into a successful life.
When people say i did it on my way, they are often editing their own history. They’re cutting out the parts where they were scared or where they followed the rules because they had to. We love the idea of the lone wolf, even if the reality is that most of us are part of a pack. This is why the song is the most requested track at funerals in the UK. It’s the final edit of a person’s life story. It allows the grieving to frame the deceased’s life as a series of intentional, bold choices rather than a series of compromises.
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Complexity and Nuance in the Lyrics
Take a look at the line: "Regrets, I've had a few / But then again, too few to mention."
That is a lie. Everyone has regrets. But the song gives us permission to minimize them. It’s a form of musical therapy. If you’ve ever worked a job you hated or stayed in a city that didn't fit you, singing those words feels like a reclamation of power. You’re telling yourself that the struggle was part of a grander design that you created.
Actionable Insights for the Modern "Individualist"
If you’re actually looking to live a life where you can honestly say you did it your way, you have to move past the bravado of the song and look at the logistics of autonomy. Doing things "your way" isn't about being stubborn; it's about building the infrastructure to support your choices.
Financial Independence is the Foundation. You can't do it your way if you're beholden to a paycheck from someone you don't respect. True autonomy starts with a "F-you fund." This is a classic concept in personal finance where you keep six to twelve months of expenses in cash so you can walk away from a bad situation without blinking.
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Define Your "Way" Early. Most people end up following someone else's path because they never bothered to map their own. Write down your non-negotiables. Is it working from home? Is it never working on weekends? Is it refusing to compromise on the quality of your craft? If you don't define the "way," the world will define it for you.
Expect the Pushback. The song mentions "the blows" for a reason. When you stop following the herd, the herd gets nervous. They’ll call you "difficult" or "uncooperative." Sinatra faced this when he left Tommy Dorsey's band to go solo—a move that was considered professional suicide at the time. You have to be okay with being the villain in someone else's story to be the hero in your own.
Audit Your Regrets Regularly. Don't wait until the end of your life to say you have "too few to mention." Every six months, look at your choices. Are you doing things because you want to, or because you're afraid of what happens if you don't? Adjusting the sails now is much easier than trying to justify a lifetime of wrong turns later.
Doing it "your way" is a heavy burden. It means when things go wrong, you can't blame the boss, the government, or your parents. You are the one who "planned each charted course," as the lyric goes. It’s a lot of pressure. But as the song suggests, the alternative—living a life that isn't yours—is a much worse fate. Sinatra might have hated the tune, but he lived the truth of it. He took the hits, he made the choices, and he owned the results. Whether you're humming it in the shower or using it to fuel a career pivot, the core message remains: the most valuable thing you own is your agency. Don't trade it for comfort.