As anybody who’s had to sit through a terrible karaoke performance knows, the experience can be pretty unpleasant. But are a few flat notes worth murdering someone over? If they’re singing “My Way” by Frank Sinatra, maybe.
Between the years of 2002 and 2012, at least six people were killed in the Philippines at karaoke bars because they were bad at singing the 1969 classic. In 2010, the New York Times estimated at least six people had been murdered as part of the phenomenon known as the “My Way Killings.” But what was it about that specific Sinatra tune that provoked such violence?
As 63-year-old Filipino karaoke enthusiast Rodolfo Gregorio told Norimitsu Onishi for the NYT, after witnessing countless fistfights and even some stabbings over contentious performances, he would never again attempt to sing “My Way.”
“I used to like ‘My Way,’ but after all the trouble, I stopped singing it,” he said. “You can get killed.”
It’s worth noting that karaoke-related assaults have happened all over the world; in addition, karaoke was, and is, an extremely popular pastime in the Philippines, so it kind of makes sense that there would be a higher incidence of karaoke violence there. But “My Way” was, by far, the riskiest proposition for any amateur singer to attempt.
“The trouble with ‘My Way,’” said Gregorio, “is that everyone knows it and everyone has an opinion.”
62-year-old Edwin Lancaderas, also a regular at karaoke, felt that “misunderstanding and jealousy,” were to blame for the “My Way Killings,” admitting that he always avoided the song himself.
Another problem, according to Butch Albarracin, owner of Manila-based singing school Center for Pop, was the boastful nature of Paul Anka‘s lyrics.
“‘I did it my way’ it’s so arrogant,” Albarracin said. “The lyrics evoke feelings of pride and arrogance in the singer, as if you’re somebody when you’re really nobody. It covers up your failures. That’s why it leads to fights.”
Related: Bob Dylan Recalls Surreal Moment Shared With Frank Sinatra at a Dinner Party
Roland B. Tolentino, a pop culture expert at the University of the Philippines, agreed that the “triumphalist” tone of “My Way” was an issue, though he felt a broader cultural issue was also to blame.
“The Philippines is a very violent society, so karaoke only triggers what already exists here when certain social rules are broken,” Tolentino said.
The last reported killing over “My Way” took place in 2018, when 61-year-old Jose Bosmion Jr. was stabbed by his 28-year-old neighbor, Rolando Cañeso, at a birthday party in Dipolog City. In that case, Cañeso was about to sing the song when Bosmion grabbed his mic, leading to the deadly altercation.
Even if it has been nearly a decade since the trend apparently went out of style, a word of advice: If you’re going to sing “My Way” in the Philippines, make sure you sing it just like Ol’ Blue Eyes.
Related: 31 Years Ago Today, Frank Sinatra Performed This 1964 Hit for the Last Time Ever
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