It’s dizzying trying to keep track of all the musicians who have refused to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration. But there is at least one song we can count on: Donald Trump’s first dance as president of the United States will be to “My Way,” reports the Washington Examiner. According to an unnamed source, three Tennessee-based artists will perform Frank Sinatra’s 1969 classic as Trump and wife Melania take to the floor at the first scheduled inaugural ball.
“My Way” writer Paul Anka was originally planning to perform the song himself but backed out to spend time with his son, he told TMZ. Anka said that while he doesn’t share Trump’s political views, he has been friends with the president-elect for 50 years, and his participation would have been out of respect for the office. He also identified “My Way” as Trump’s favorite. Sinatra himself reportedly loathed the song, with his daughter Tina telling the BBC in 2000, “He always thought that song was self-serving and self-indulgent.”
Of the news that Trump would be dancing to her father’s song at the inauguration, Sinatra’s other daughter, Nancy, had this to say:
The first line of “My Way,” of course, is “And now the end is near,” which is downright ominous under the circumstances and a weird way to kick off a presidency. The second line, “And so I face the final curtain” also isn’t the kind of sentiment most people would want to invoke on their first day as commander in chief, though it’s surely how many besides Trump are feeling. Those lyrics are probably what make the song a favorite for funerals in the U.K.
It’s hardly surprising that “My Way” is Trump’s favorite song, given that it celebrates living unapologetically and speaking one’s mind (in Trump’s case, often regardless of consequences). But the irony of the song’s other lyrics in this context are probably lost on him. Regrets? Biting off more than you can chew? This actually might be the perfect choice for him, after all.
