About the Song
“My Way” is a song that gained popularity in 1969 with Frank Sinatra’s rendition, featuring English lyrics written by Paul Anka. The music was adapted from the French song “Comme d’habitude,” composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François. The English version of the song became a success for various artists, including Elvis Presley.
Elvis Presley started performing “My Way” in concerts during the mid-1970s, despite initial suggestions from Anka that the song might not suit him. Presley sang the song during his satellite show “Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite” on January 12 and 14, 1973, which was broadcast live to 43 countries.
After Presley’s death on August 16, 1977, his live recording of “My Way,” from the Elvis In Concert CBS-TV special on June 21, 1977, was released as a single on October 3, 1977. The single achieved notable success, reaching number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, number 6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and earning a gold certification for over a million copies sold in the U.S. In 1978, it reached number 2 on the Billboard Country singles chart and topped the Cash Box Country Singles chart. In the UK, the single reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart.
The studio version of “My Way” recorded by Presley in 1971 was included on the fourth disc of “Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential ’70s Masters.” The song was also featured in the climax of the 2001 film “3000 Miles to Graceland,” starring Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner, where Paul Anka makes a cameo appearance as a casino pit boss who loathes Presley.