The untold story of Frank Sinatra’s signature song: Paul Anka reveals how a shocking dinner table announcement led to the birth of My Way

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Frank Sinatra relaxed at a Miami Italian restaurant, untied his tie, and then told his friends he was retiring.

At the table sat the youngest of the Rat Pack, 26-year-old Paul Anka, who immediately panicked. 

‘Sh**, this is my last chance,’ he said to himself. 

‘In the course of the meal, you could sense it,’ Anka told the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview this week. ‘Sinatra was in a fragile, intense part of his life then.

The Beatles and Elvis Presley were popular, but Jimi Hendrix revolutionized music. The musical landscape he was familiar with was rapidly evolving.

By the 1968 film Lady in Cement, starring Frank Sinatra and Raquel Welch, Paul Anka had become a full member of the Rat Pack. He’d first gained fame with teen hits like “Puppy Love,” “Diana,” and “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” and then established himself as a successful songwriter while working with producer Don Costa.

Despite all his accomplishments, there was still one thing he hadn’t done, and Sinatra’s surprising news had unexpectedly created a sense of urgency.

Anka explained that she’d always hoped to write for him, but she was too nervous and didn’t feel prepared at the time.

He’s planning to finish one last album with Costa, who I was collaborating with at the time, and then that partnership will end.

I rushed home to my tiny New York City apartment, practically bursting to get to my typewriter. And honestly, the storm that rolled in? It was epic. I mean, a proper thunderstorm – I’ll remember that night forever.

When the rain started falling, Anka sang like Frank Sinatra, reimagining a classic French song about heartbreak with new lyrics.

Five hours later, My Way was written.

Sinatra accepted the tune with a cool, ‘Yeah kid, I like it.’

Anka recalled that two months later, Frank called him from the recording studio in Los Angeles. He put the phone on speaker, and Anka heard the song for the first time, immediately bursting into tears.

‘I knew then that I had something very special.’

Oh my gosh, you guys, they made a documentary about Paul Anka! It just dropped on HBO on December 1st, and the title… it’s called ‘Paul Anka: His Way’! Can you believe it? It’s a play on Frank Sinatra’s most famous song, ‘My Way’! It’s like they’re saying Paul did things his way, and honestly, he totally did. I’m already obsessed!

This biography tells the story of the 84-year-old Canadian singer, starting with his teenage years. He left Ottawa at 15 with just $100 to pursue songwriting in New York City, and went on to perform for huge audiences and write songs for legendary artists like Buddy Holly, Michael Jackson, and Drake.

Even though he achieved a lot of success, Frank Sinatra told the Daily Mail that ‘My Way’ was the only song he was certain would be a major hit from the very beginning.

He explained that songwriters rarely know immediately if they’ve created a successful song. He admitted the only time he felt certain about a song’s potential was with ‘My Way’.

‘You do the best you can. You write for yourself, and you try to keep a consumer in mind.’

Despite being over eighty years old, this artist is still very active. They’re starting a new tour in January, releasing an album this fall, and a Broadway show about their life is planned for 2027.

And he still has unfulfilled musical ambitions – including writing for Elton John.

He wondered if he could have a good time with someone like Sting, or maybe connect with Elton John. He also thought it would be nice to just have a conversation with Bruno Mars.

Even though Paul Anka is a highly sought-after artist today, back in 1962 he had to persuade the director of the all-star film The Longest Day – which featured actors like John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, and Robert Mitchum – to even consider using his music in the movie.

Paul Anka recalled being in ‘The Longest Day’ as a young actor, saying it featured ‘every star in the world.’ He was only 20 years old at the time and excited to work alongside actors he had long admired, he told the Daily Mail.

I was having lunch with Zanuck, and I asked him about the film’s music. He told me he wasn’t using any, explaining he wanted an authentic feel and didn’t want a typical love story or musical score.

I returned to New York and finally completed a song. I figured I had nothing to lose, so I sent it to him in France.

A few weeks later, I received a telex from him. It simply said, “Dear Paul, there will be music.” That’s how the song ended up being included.

Oh my gosh, Paul Anka! I always thought of him as the king of sweet love songs, but his interview this week… wow. It was a totally different side of him. He seemed so much more… realistic, even a little heartbroken, talking about love. He opened up about his second marriage falling apart with Anna Aberg, and even his relationship with Lisa Pemberton ending a few years ago. It was honestly a little sad to hear, but so brave of him to be so open! It made me see him in a whole new light.

He warned that if you’re with someone who wants to be alone, it’s a hopeless situation. Ultimately, we all come into the world and leave it by ourselves.

He explained that the initial ‘falling in love’ phase isn’t genuine. He believes it’s a time when people are easily deceived and controlled.

Rather than love, Anka said his two best songwriting inspirations have been failure and revenge.

He believes revenge is incredibly satisfying and wishes others in his field would admit the same. He finds rejection to be a powerful source of motivation.

‘It’s not the successes, it’s the revenge and the failure. I love it. It just drives you on.’

This documentary showcases Paul Anka’s dedication and strong work ethic, highlighting his impressive catalog of over 900 songs. However, it doesn’t delve much into the challenges he faced in his personal life.

In the film, he talked about his first marriage to model Anne de Zogheb, who is the mother of his five daughters, and explained how the pressures of fame affected their relationship.

Oh, it just kills me knowing what poor Evelyn went through! Everyone thinks of him, the brilliant musician, but nobody talks about her sacrifice. She completely gave up everything – her own career, her dreams – to raise their children. And then, after all those years, when the girls were grown and gone, she just wanted him to finally be home. She asked him to stop touring, just to be with her, and he… he wouldn’t. He just refused. It’s heartbreaking, honestly. She deserved so much better.

His oldest daughter, Alexandra, suggested there was strain in the family, explaining in the documentary that her mother struggled with his frequent travel.

Oh my gosh, Paul Anka – the original teen idol with ‘Diana’ when he was just sixteen! – actually had some really thoughtful things to say about Justin Bieber. I mean, after everything Justin’s been going through – the struggles with his mental health, those reports about prescription drugs, and the whole drama with Scooter Braun – it was amazing to hear from someone who gets it. It’s like, Paul Anka understands what it’s like to be thrown into the spotlight so young, and he actually offered Justin some advice! I was so relieved to see someone looking out for him.

He warned that it’s important to be careful about who you trust, pointing to examples like Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber, who both faced difficulties.

‘They try to manipulate you into what they want you to be.

Becoming famous, like what happened with Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, and myself, can be overwhelming. You achieve stardom, but it’s hard to know how to handle it.

‘You’re crawling along, hoping that one day you become smart enough to deal with it.

‘There’s a lot that I learned from others by not being the smartest guy in the room.’

While many of his friends in the Rat Pack struggled with substance abuse, Anka stayed clear of excessive drinking and drugs. He explained that the energy of performing was all the boost he needed.

He described performing as what truly energizes him, saying, ‘I loved it then, and I still love it now.’

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2025-12-14 17:35