Introduction
“My Way” gained popularity in 1969 through Frank Sinatra, featuring music adapted from the French song “Comme d’habitude” composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François, initially performed by Claude François in 1967.
Paul Anka penned the English lyrics for the song, unrelated to the original French composition. The track achieved success with various artists, including Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Sid Vicious. Sinatra’s rendition of “My Way” held a notable record, spending 75 weeks in the UK Top 40, ranking fourth in all-time longevity.
In the mid-1970s, Elvis Presley incorporated “My Way” into his concert performances, despite Paul Anka’s reservations about its suitability for him. On January 12 and 14, 1973, during his satellite show Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite, beamed live to 43 countries via Intelsat, Presley defied expectations and delivered renditions of the song.
Following Presley’s death on October 3, 1977, a live recording of “My Way,” captured during the Elvis In Concert CBS-TV special on June 21, 1977, was released as a single. In the U.S., it climbed to number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in late 1977 and early 1978, surpassing Frank Sinatra’s peak position. The single also secured the 6th spot on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and achieved gold status with over a million copies sold. In the subsequent year, it reached number 2 on the Billboard Country singles chart and claimed the top spot on the Cash Box Country Singles chart. In the UK, the single reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.
Presley’s version of “My Way” found cinematic prominence in the climax of the 2001 film 3000 Miles to Graceland, starring Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner. Notably, Paul Anka made a cameo appearance in the film as a casino pit boss who harbors disdain for Presley.
Furthermore, Presley’s studio recording of the song from 1971 was included on the fourth disc of “Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential ’70s Masters.”