The Haven Opinion #2: Frank Sinatra - My Way

[Shireblogger]

Soon to be declared an official million selling single (although Joseph Murrells thought that had happened in 1970), what do you think of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" ?

Is it the ultimate crooner singing the ultimate crooning song, with its lyrics (by Paul Anka) of independence, resilience and triumph ? Or is it self-righteous, egocentric and maudlin ? Do you get goosebumps whenever you hear Frank sing it ? Or has it been ruined by drunken uncle renditions at weddings ?

Please give us your opinion, along with a score between 0 (very bad) and 10 (very good). You must write a minimum of 5 words and a maximum of 5 paragraphs for your score to count, and scores outside the range of 0-10 will not be included.



Scores:
0 : rubcale
0 : cally
4 : smokeyb
6 : Earl Purple
6 : wonderwall
8 : SherriffFatman
10 : whitneyfan
7 : vastariner
1 : Smurfie
6 : Andy
0 : raliverpool
1 : Shireblogger
7 : Last Dreamer
4 : steveh31
4 : daz
5 : borneoman

4.3 AVERAGE from 16 judges

[rubcale]

To be polite it's a bl**dy bore - utterly ghastly.

I couldn't put it better than egocentric, self-righteous and maudlin. A record which would actually make me switch the radio off if it came on.

A big fat 0 (zero) for this.

[cally]

0 for me too. Maybe because I love the french version. Or maybe because I heard it way too much. I hate the lyrics, the way Sinatra sang it (and I love many of his other songs). Everytime I hear it, I turn off the radio. So overratted...

[smokeyb]

It's one of those songs that just about everyone knows, whether you listen to Sinatra or not. Personally I am not a huge fan of his, and if I were being honest I prefer some other songs by him.

In saying that I don't think it's a terrible song, just not a great song, plus it certainly has been overplayed down the years.

An artist of Sinatra's status should be remembered for a lot of songs, but this is always the one people plump for if asked name a song by him.

4/10

[Earl Purple]

I always prefer Frank Sinatra when he's swinging rather than crooning.

It's difficult to start scoring songs which you know are technically not bad songs but are simply not your preferred type of music.

I'll give it 6 out of 10, because it's good for the type of song it is.

My favourite Paul Anka song is "It's Doesn't Matter Anymore", Buddy Holly's only solo UK #1.

[wonderwall]

No thanks not my cup of tea but understand he is a legend 6/10

[SheriffFatman]

He was an absolutely magnificent singer, and that's fully on display here. Also, very few songs have had such a cultural impact - it has truly escaped the confines of being merely a single and become something else entirely, it's seeped into the minds and cultural backgrounds of several generations. It must have some pretty special qualities to have achieved all that.

I think there's just something about the lyrics that appeals to people. The idea of reaching old age and being able to honestly look back on your life in this way would probably appeal to most people.

8/10

[Whitneyfan]

10/10

Frankly (excuse the pun), it's an absolute classic and one of the most iconic songs of all-time.

[vastar iner]

My nan's favourite record.

It's an incredibly egotistical song. Perhaps fitting for the Chairman of the Board, who was one heck of a talent, but who also had one heck of a lot of rather powerful chums. Difficult for example to take his Oscar as being truly down to his way...

One of those songs without a chorus. Or, alternatively, it is all chorus. The single version is very well produced - not many singers could cope with the quiet bits and the crescendo to the peak while still being in sympathy to the effect; Sinatra was known for his ability to organize a studio in just the right way. And I wonder whether the quiet ending was one of those moments for reflection - is Sinatra now singing it boldly, or regretfully? To me there is just that slight ambiguity.

It is difficult to assess it with a cold mind given its cultural baggage. Plus the Sid Vicious version, which to me is definitive. Trying to think about it neutrally it's surely a very good single. Worthy of a 7.

[Smurfie]

I cannot bear this song in any shape or format, though I am not a Rat Pack fan, but still 100 times better then any version of Mack The Knife. 1.

[o]

It's not a song I've heard much, not the sort of thing that gets played on the radio, just on tv shows, with someone drunkenly singing it on karaoke. I enjoy how it builds, but do see it as a bit overblown, but it's stood the test of time 6/10

[raliverpool]

The 1967 French original "Comme d'habitude" is a wonderful song and recording:



.... unfortunately a bunch of songwriters were asked to come up with English lyrics for "the Chairman Of The Board" to sing. The result was late 1950s/early 1960s Canadian teen idol Paul Anka came up with some egotistical lyrics that even Justin Bieber and Kanye West would have second thoughts about singing.

The result was the worst single Frank Sinatra ever made. (Although not as bad as his family descendant Jon Bon Jovi's mauling of the song on the USA 100 years Frank Sinatra tribute programme last December (where ironically the indisputably agreed show's star turn was Lady Gaga's version of "New York, New York" which was as great as her recent David Bowie Grammy tribute was excruciating)).

One budding songwriting lyricist was a certain chap from Bromley by the name of David Bowie, who came up with a bunch of frankly rubbish lyrics to the song retitling it "Even A Fool Learns To Love". This was understandably not prefered to Paul Anka's more succinct lyrics; as a result of this rejection, he went away and composed his own dysfunctional version of the same song which later turned up on his 1971 album "Hunky Dory".

The thing is during numerous concerts between 1974 and 1976 Frank Sinatra would often preface singing "My Way" by telling the tale disparaging the "limey faggot" and mocking said composition which was recorded on the day I was born .... which I was not aware of until I was in my 20s when this song covered earlier this week "beautifully" by Lorde with Bowie's 1995-2004 touring band had long since became my all time favourite song:



As a result his long time older rival and nemesis Bing Crosby's youngest son, who was now his manager saw the opportunity to get one over on Frank Sinatra; and invited the said British pop and rock star to appear on Bing Crosby's 1977 Christmas show to record the duet "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" which became a UK #3 hit in 1982.

Hence, I have to give this dreadful track a big fat 0. It along with "Something Stupid" are his two worst songs, sadly they appear to be his most well known leaving many of his great 1950s recordings left half forgotten (my favourite of his is "All The Way", followed by "It Was A Very Good Year"). At least Sid Vicious delightfully shredded the pompous track in the same way the Comic Strip spoof hair metal band Bad News shredded Bohiemian Rhapsody (with Queen's permission, not least as May, Taylor, and Deacon went back into the studio to overdub said track to make it sound more comically worse on its songwriter Mercury's request).

[Shireblogger]

I really don't like it. It is a sanctimonious dirge. Sinatra seems to have been a rather unpleasant individual. That doesn't help his cause in my book, although I acknowledge the merits of some of his songs (such as "New York New York", for example).

There is one compensating virtue. That is Sparks' "When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way'", which references both Sinatra and Sid Vicious.

1/10 from me

[Deleted]

Eternal classic song from 60s. Usually I don't like huge all-time hits, but not in this situation.

I really can't understand all yours low points (zeroes and 1s).

Best selected single from all Haven songs rates on this minute.

7 / 10.

[Deleted]

I think this song depends on the time you hear it and the situation, on it's own just hearing it on the radio I would turn off but if it was part of something meaningful and uplifting then I think it works well.

4/10

[Razzle Dazzle]

There's something deeply hypocritical about "My Way", this is an adaptation of a French pop song that Paul Anka acquired the rights to, I don't have a problem with that, he took a piece of coal and turned it into a diamond, he wrote a good song but the one thing this song isn't and that's Frank Sinatra's way, at its root as a Sinatra song it is nothing more than a well produced karaoke song

Onto the content, its over indulgent, egocentric and self-righteous, as a person I am the opposite, the irony isn't lost on me and if it happens to be on in the background its inofesive to the ear so for me

4/10

[borneoman]

not a fan of Sinatra or this kind of music
but I don't mind this
5/10