Frank Sinatra’s strange connection to 12 deaths in the Philippines

Considered one of the greatest singers of all time, Frank Sinatra released hits like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” It is “Somethin’ Stupid,” but one of the main ones is “My Way,” a song considered by critics to be one of his best, vocally and creatively. However, the song seems like a trigger in Philippines – and was linked to 12 deaths in the country.

Written by Paul Anka, the song’s lyrics describe a type of life without regrets, but there can also be an interpretation of closure when faced with the prospect of death. Read some translated verses below:

And now, the end is near
And then I face the last act
My friend, I will speak clearly
I will state my case, of which I am certain
I lived a full life
I’ve traveled any and every road
And more, much more than that
I did it my way

As Esquire reported, in Philippinesthere were a variety of reasons why people died because of “My Way.” For example, some were murdered for singing out of tune, others for not passing the microphone to someone else at karaoke, or even for singing it repeatedly, for hours and hours.

During an interview with New York Times in 2010, Roland Tolentinothen professor at University of the Philippines and former dean of University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, spoke about the subject. “To the Philippines They are a very violent society, so karaoke only triggers what already exists here when certain social media rules have been broken,” he explained.

Second Tolentino, the “triumphalist” nature of the song may have contributed to the triggering of the violence. Frank Sinatra himself didn’t have great feelings for “My Way.” As his daughter revealed, the singer found the song “selfish and self-indulgent. He didn’t like it. This song was a hit and he couldn’t get it out of his shoes.”

Most music-related deaths occurred between 2002 and 2012. For example, in 2007, a security guard at a karaoke bar shot a 29-year-old man who was singing “My Way” in the city of San Mateo. Apparently, the victim was out of tune and, as he couldn’t stop singing, the employee became angry and shot him dead.

Surprisingly, deaths linked to the song returned in 2018, when a 60-year-old man was stabbed by his 28-year-old neighbor during a birthday party in Zamboanga del Norte. The elderly man allegedly took the neighbor’s microphone precisely when “My Way” would begin. Then, a fight broke out and ended with the victim being stabbed. He was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Later that year, a bill was introduced in the Congress with a proposed karaoke curfew to reduce violence influenced by alcoholic beverages.

These serial murders shocked Philippine society, and owners of karaoke bars even removed music as an option. Out of fear, many people don’t even sing.”My Way” in public, and they feel safer when they rent a private room in an establishment, in order not to disturb anyone outside their circle of friends.