Paul Anka has discovered a new way to honor Christopher Columbus.
The legendary singer/songwriter has penned an updated version of his classic Frank Sinatra hit “My Way” with lyrics strike back at those who want to erase the memory of the famed explorer.
“For fun, food, friends, there’s never a lack // you’re going to get those statutes back,” he wrote in the new song, which he will be performing the new version at the Columbus Day Parade in Chicago on Monday.
The song references the statues of Christopher Columbus that were removed from the Windy City’s Grant Park and Arrigo Park.
The song also references complaints by White Socks fans.
“Lost [now Yankees first baseman] Anthony Rizzo, that’s a sob. And what’s with those White Socks, A fanabla!”
In one stanza he also mentioned Sean “Diddy” Combs, because he said it was “topical.”
“Instead of fear or dread // no blue, no red // no dirt from Diddy // it’s true there’s much to do but we’ll come through it our empowered way.”
Anka, 83, originally penned “My Way” for Frank Sinatra — set to the music of a French song “Comme d’habitude” — after he learned the Hoboken, N.J. native was thinking of retiring.
The iconic song was released in 1969, where it peaked at No. 27 on the U.S. Billboard chart.
The Canadian born singer-turned California resident — who has over 239,000 TikTok followers — wrote it over the course of eight to 10 hours spread over five days in Los Angeles, Buffalo, N.Y., and Chicago.
Although Anka, whose parents were of Lebanese descent, is not of Italian heritage, he said people often mistake him for Italian or Jewish. He did live in Italy for several years when he was younger.
This is far from the first time Anka has rewritten his famous song. He did it for billionaire Carlos Slim in Mexico and for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Chicago parade, which will be held on Monday on State Street and broadcast on ABC7, the Windy City’s most-watched television station, is organized by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans.
The dad of six, who is currently on a nationwide tour, said his fiancee Michele Nigro and 19-year-old son will accompany him to the parade, the first one he will be in.
Anka said he doesn’t want to get into the politics of the renaming of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but noted, “We took their land, and I support that injustice from years ago.”
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