I have a chronic habit of listening to music from the period of 1940s to 1960s — all those songs my father enjoyed and left for me. My favorite of this era of popular American music, besides Louis Armstrong, is for sure Frank Sinatra, whose hit “I Did It My Way” is a treat to ears and worth preserving.
The lyrics are simple yet powerful: “And now the end is near/so I face the final curtain/I have lived a life that’s full/I have traveled the world/and I did it my way.”
The way Sinatra sings it is so powerful and sincere that you find yourself believing in it and learning that life is really short and yet full of happy and good things. The song shows you only brave hearts can live it to the fullest without regrets.
All of his songs are meaningful and wise, but “I Did It My Way” is Sinatra at his best. I suggest you get this song’s CD, or if you can’t at least bookmark it on YouTube and listen to it everyday and enjoy the Sinatra roller coaster of love and wisdom.
Dear Nadia,
I am doing research on Arabic songs, especially old ones. Can you please guide me where to find them and who is who? I am interested in all Arabic songs, not only those from the Gulf region. — Fatima Salo, Indonesia
Dear Fatima,
Good luck with your research. The Arabic song archive is full and rich, from the Arabian Gulf to the Moroccan shores. From the Gulf region I can recommend Talal Madah, Zoiad and Aishah Marttah. From Lebanon and Syria there are Fareed Alatrash, Asmahan, Fairooz and Wadi Alsafi. From Iraq Nathem Algazali. From Egypt a flow of music as big as the Nile: Abdul Haleem Hafez, Abdulwahab, Najat, Faiza Ahmad, Abdulmutalab, Mohamed Fawzi and Om Kalthoum. I am sure there are many more; I only mentioned the ones I listen to.
Good Luck,
Nadia