My Way (Frank Sinatra).

I've always* thought it would be the coolest thing to have my own theme song.

I grew up thinking my dad had his own. He'd drive around in our big black beast of a van belting out "My Way" to passengers and pedestrians -

"Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up and spit it out.
I faced it all and I stood tall;
And did it my way."

- It wasn't until a decade or too down the road that I learned my dad didn't even invent this song. Paul Anka had actually written** it (with Lee Long in mind) in '67, and Frank Sinatra had released his seminal version for my dad, two years later, knowing there was a person walking the earth who deserved to call this a personal theme song. I don't see how this song could belong to anybody but my dad, Frank Sinatra, possibly Matt Damon, and definitely Paul Rudd. Each verse: goosebumps are Everest caterpillars crawling up my arms.

"I've loved, I've laughed and cried.
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside,
I find it all so amusing."

Wow. Frank. Such a mediocre voice, but he really did record the greatest song ever. Also, he recorded one other really, really good song, but it's premature to speak of it.

Go listen now. And live. And belt it so the sun can hear you. I will be listening for the echoes.

____

*since I was eleven

**inspired by the French classic "Comme d'habitude" by Claude François & Jacques Revaux

Frank Sinatra
My Way
My Way
1969