FanStory.com - A look at My Wayby TallySally

The song, “My Way” has an interesting history.

Songfacts (https://www.songfacts.com/facts/frank-sinatra/my-way), reports the origin of "My Way" to be a French song called “Comme D’Habitude” (translation: “As Usual”). While written by the composers Jacques Revaux and Gilles Thibault, pop-star Claude Francois, who performed it in 1967, added his own spin. His tweaks earned a co-writer credit. "Comme D'Habitude" was a hit in parts of Europe. The theme of the French version is summarized as telling “the story of a man, living out the end of his marriage, love killed by the boredom of everyday life.”

Paul Anka rewrote the lyrics of “Comme D’Habitude,” and recorded it December 30, 1968. Anka’s spin was “a man looking back fondly on a life he lived on his own terms.”

Frank Sinatra’s version, released in 1969, was hailed as his signature song. Even so it was not his favorite. According to Songfacts, “he couldn’t stand it, saying he “loathed” the song. In later years, he described the song as “a Paul Anka pop hit which became a kind of national anthem.” In a 2000 interview with the BBC show Hardtalk, Sinatra’s daughter Tina said, “He always thought that song was self-serving and self-indulgent. He didn’t like it. That song stuck and he couldn’t get it off his shoe.”

Except as informed by Songfacts, this writer is no expert on anything ‘pop,’ but I do perceive a paradox in Anka’s and Sinatra’s versions. Each, in part, piggy-backed off of the ‘ways’ of Revaux, Thibault, and Francois. I think good alternative names for their songs might be, “Sorta My Way” or "My Way - NOT!"

As for me, my own personal ‘ways,’ either ‘as usual,’ ‘my way,’ ‘sorta my way,’ or 'my way - not,' have not panned-out as I planned. No matter what investment of dreams, time, effort and money, I have never truly reached any of my own goals. And often I have failed miserably.

As a Christian, I’m learning … and trying to put into practice what I believe Jesus’ version of ‘My Way’ might be. I think His theme would be a love-song. I think it would go something like this:

You love your garden, Relda.
    You nurture it in spring.
You want to make it beautiful,
    borne from winter’s harshest dreams.
I’ll be your favorite rose-bush,
    you - branches in full-bloom.
I am the Master Gardener.
    My Green Thumb tried and true.
Grow your garden My Way,
    fulfill our Grand Design.
We’ll grow cascades of roses,
    when your garden’s joined with mine.

Love, Jesus.

I call this song, "Your Garden Joined with Mine." Inspired by John 15:5 KJV: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.