My Way

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"My Way" is a song written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude"
co-composed, co-written and performed in 1967 by Claude François. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated
to the original French song. Paul heard the original 1967 French pop song, Comme d'habitude (As Usual)
performed by Claude François, while on holiday in the south of France. He flew to Paris to negotiate
the rights to the song. Sometime later, Anka had a dinner in Florida with Frank Sinatra and "a couple
of Mob guys" during which Sinatra said "I'm quitting the business. I'm sick of it; I'm getting the
hell out". Back in New York, Anka re-wrote the original French song for Sinatra, subtly altering the
melodic structure and changing the lyrics. "At one o'clock in the morning, Paul sat down at an old IBM
electric typewriter and said, 'If Frank were writing this, what would he say?' So Paul started,
metaphorically, 'And now the end is near.' he read a lot of periodicals, and noticed everything was
'my this' and 'my that'. Paul said we were in the 'me generation' and Frank became the guy for me to
use to say that. Anka used words like: 'I ate it up and spit it out.' On his own way of talking. Anka
finished the song at 5 am. "I called Frank up in Nevada – he was at Caesar's Palace – and said, 'I've
got something really special for you. Paul said at loud during the recording at the record company:
'Hey, I can write it, but I'm not the guy to sing it'. It reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
and No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart in the US. In the UK, the single achieved a still unmatched record,
becoming the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40, spending 75 weeks from April 1969 to
September 1971. It spent a further 49 weeks in the Top 75. This is a song that we can all feel related
and say: “It's My Life”.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHORDS STRUCTURE
D/F#
004232
F#m/A
000222
D7
557575
B7
797877
Em
009987
D/A
557775
Am6
002212
Bm
004432
Gm7
353333
A7
575655
G/B
009787
Em7
000787
G
355433
PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHORDS STRUCTURE
[Verse 1]
D/F# F#m/A
And now, the end is near
Am6 B7
And so I face, the final curtain
Em Em7
My friend, I'll say it clear
A7 D/F#
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
[Verse 2]
D/A D7
I've lived, a life that’s full
G Gm7
I've traveled each, and every highway
D/A A7
But more, much more than this
G/B D/F#
I did it my way
[Verse 3]
D/F# F#m/A
Regrets, I've had a few
Am6 B7
But then again, too few to mention
Em Em7
I did, what I had to do
A7 D/F#
And saw it through, without exemption
[Verse 4]
D/A D7
I planned, each chartered course
G Gm7
Each careful step, along the byway
D/A A7
But more, much more than this
G/B D/F#
I did it my way
[Verse 5]
D/F# D7
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
G
When I bit off, more than I could chew
Em A7
But through it all, when there was doubt
F#m/A Bm
I ate it up, and spit it out
Em A7
I faced it all, and I stood tall
G/B D/F#
And did it my way
[Verse 6]
D/F# F#m/A
I've loved, I've laughed and cried
Am6 B7
I've had my fill, my share of losing
Em Em7
And now, as tears subside
A7 D/F#
I find it all so amusing
[Verse 7]
D/A D7
To think, I did all that
G Gm7
And may I say, not in a shy way
D/F# A7
Oh no, Oh no, not me
G/B D/F#
I did it my way
[Verse 8]
D/F# D7
For what is a man, what has he got?
G
If not himself, then he has naught
Em A7
To say the things, he truly feels
F#m/A Bm
And not the words, of one who kneels
Em A7
The record shows, I took the blows
G/B D/F#
And did it my way

My Way chords and lyrics

Free chords for My Way by Paul Anka. Scroll the interactive sheet above or read the chord names inline below.

to the original French song. Paul heard the original 1967 French pop song, Comme d'habitude (As Usual) 
performed by Claude François, while on holiday in the south of France. He flew to Paris to negotiate 
the rights to the song. Sometime later, Anka had a dinner in Florida with Frank Sinatra and "a couple 
of Mob guys" during which Sinatra said "I'm quitting the business. I'm sick of it; I'm getting the 
hell out". Back in New York, Anka re-wrote the original French song for Sinatra, subtly altering the 
melodic structure and changing the lyrics. "At one o'clock in the morning, Paul sat down at an old IBM 
electric typewriter and said, 'If Frank were writing this, what would he say?' So Paul started, 
metaphorically, 'And now the end is near.' he read a lot of periodicals, and noticed everything was 
'my this' and 'my that'. Paul said we were in the 'me generation' and Frank became the guy for me to 
use to say that. Anka used words like: 'I ate it up and spit it out.' On his own way of talking. Anka 
finished the song at 5 am. "I called Frank up in Nevada – he was at Caesar's Palace – and said, 'I've 
got something really special for you. Paul said at loud during the recording at the record company: 
'Hey, I can write it, but I'm not the guy to sing it'. It reached No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 
and No. 2 on the Easy Listening chart in the US. In the UK, the single achieved a still unmatched record, 
becoming the recording with the most weeks inside the Top 40, spending 75 weeks from April 1969 to 
September 1971. It spent a further 49 weeks in the Top 75. This is a song that we can all feel related 
and say: “It's My Life”.
                                    PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHORDS STRUCTURE
D/F# 004232     
F#m/A 000222    
D7 557575       
B7 797877       
Em 009987       
D/A 557775      
Am6 002212
Bm 004432       
Gm7 353333       
A7 575655       
G/B 009787      
Em7 000787      
G 355433
                                    PAY ATTENTION TO THE CHORDS STRUCTURE
[Verse 1]
[Verse 2]
[Verse 3]
[Verse 4]
[Verse 5]
[Verse 6]
[Verse 7]
[Verse 8]

My Way Chords by Paul Anka

Learn how to play My Way by Paul Anka with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “My Way chords”, “My Way guitar chords”, or “Paul Anka My Way chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy My Way chords and for experienced players who want accurate My Way lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include D/F#, F#m/A, D7, B7, Em, D/A.

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The chords for "My Way" show the original chord names (including D/F#, F#m/A, D7, B7, Em, D/A). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.