‘My Way’ By Frank Sinatra Brings Eerie Cultural Phenomenon in Philippines

The Hit Song of Frank Sinatra ‘My Way’ Brings an Eerie Cultural Phenomenon in the Philippines.

MY WAY – This Frank Sinatra hit song brings an eerie cultural phenomenon and gives an unforgettable fear and haunts in the history of the Philippines.

All karaoke machines have this song. It’s the favorite song of older people especially the males. They sing this song over a drink and often leads to death.

'My Way' of Frank Sinatra
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It’s a very good song, which many of us may be familiar with but behind the scenes is a dark story hidden. Out of thousands of songs that are in our song books or playlists, ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra is the one being feared by some. Even a drunk person would not take risk to sing that song.

'My Way' of Frank Sinatra
Photo Credit: Plato on-line – WordPress.com

This story is not new to a few and it has been aired several times in various news agency and newspaper in the Philippines. According to Vintage news, about 12 people have died as a result of singing ‘My Way’. The count is not including unreported cases.

In 2007, a 29-year-old man was shot to death by the security guard of the karaoke bar for singing the song off-key. This incident provoked an official ban of the song from karaoke bars across the country.

'My Way' Frank Sinatra
Photo Credit: Long Live the Kitty!

Based on the article, Many owners of karaoke bars even decided to employ “bakla” instead of regular security guards. They are seen as neutral in the fights between men and women. The owners of karaoke bars thought that this would create a more relaxed and positive atmosphere.

The phenomenon received significant attention worldwide. In 2010, the New York Times wrote: “The killings have produced urban legends about the song and left Filipinos groping for answers.”

It’s not clear why the song had such an impact on the Filipino karaoke scene. Some argue that the song’s triumphal tone and slightly violent imagery sparked the phenomenon.

Other people suggests that the song is not an easy one to sing. According to them, the drunk frustration over off-key singing and other unrelated disputes were the cause of most of the incidents.

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