What The Song My Way Says To Me

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Regrets, I have hundreds, Sinatra. I rather like Frank Sinatra’s rendition of My Way, a song by Paul Anka that Sinatra made very much his signature tune. It celebrates the end of a long life in which the singer made his own choices and decisions, and finds himself overall in satisfaction at how things went. The punk version by Sid Vicious adds an angry edge of indifference to what anyone else thinks about how the life was lived. The song could apply to me apart from the line, ‘Regrets I’ve had a few’ as when I think of life’s disappointments and bad choices I’d have to sing ‘Regrets, I’ve had hundreds’, and then I’d list the lot in an endless wave of self pity. My regrets include getting tangled in a cult, not studying harder at school, not standing up to the bullies, not being there when my father or my step father died, the deaths of various pets over the years, not being able to heal the rift between my Mum and her brother that led to a long bitter still on-going family feud there, getting into a similar feud with my sister that alienated her and her sons and husband from me, not yet being in a regular steady job, not being able to draw, paint or sing, or play musical instruments. My list drones on, but like Sid, Frank and Paul, I still take a certain arrogant pride in living life ‘My Way’ though. Arthur Chappell