Singing with a karaoke or videoke machine is a favorite pastime among many Filipinos. The 1969 song My Way, as popularized by Frank Sinatra, is a commonly selected entry in those machines; at least when the machine is installed in a private setting. Many patrons of karaoke bars, which are usually situated in public areas, have avoided the song in view of the so-called "My Way killings."
"My Way killings" refer to a series of murders in which the victims got shot or stabbed while singing that famous song. According to a 2010 New York Times article, news media have recorded at least six victims in the decade up to that year. Those crimes have been attributed to many reasons such as irritability due to off-key singing and drunkenness. Perhaps, the song has something sinister in it. To some people, the opening lyrics even portend someone's death:
"And now, the end is near"
"And so I face the final curtain"
"My friend, I'll say it clear"
"I'll state my case, of which I'm certain"
Many karaoke bar operators have voluntarily removed My Way from their playlists. Consequently, patrons in other bars have stopped selecting the song in effort to avoid trouble. Despite this phenomenon, you may like to sing along with Frank on this video:
Video Credit: YouTube / PanMVideos
My Way might have an ominous association but not many people know that the lyrics were written by the equally popular singer-songwriter Paul Anka. Anka's basis for the music is the song Comme d'habitude (French for As Usual), which he heard while vacationing in France in 1968.
