Imagine being a struggling songwriter in 1968. You're living in a cramped London flat, your first album was a total flop, and you're desperate for a break. Then, a tape lands on your desk. It’s a French pop song called "Comme d'habitude" by Claude François. Your publisher wants English lyrics. You think, This is it. That’s exactly where David Bowie found himself.
Most people know "My Way" as Frank Sinatra’s swan song, the ultimate anthem of self-assured masculinity. But before Paul Anka got his hands on it, a young David Robert Jones—not yet the Starman—tried to claim it. He failed. And honestly? We should be glad he did. If he hadn't been rejected, we might never have gotten "Life on Mars?"
The "Pitifully Awful" Original: Even a Fool Learns to Love
Bowie didn't just write lyrics for the tune; he recorded a demo. He titled his version "Even a Fool Learns to Love." If you’ve ever heard it, it’s... weird. He basically sang his new lyrics over the top of the original French backing track.
The vibe was less "I did it my way" and more "I'm a sad clown." Literally. The lyrics were about a clown who loses his mask and has a broken heart. It was very influenced by Anthony Newley, a vaudeville-style singer Bowie was obsessed with at the time.
Here’s the kicker: his publishers hated it.
They thought the lyrics were rubbish. They wanted a "star" to record the song, and in 1968, Bowie was just some "yobbo from Bromley" with no hits. He was snubbed. The rights were sold to Paul Anka for a pittance, Anka wrote the "regrets, I've had a few" version we know today, and the rest is history.
David Bowie My Way: The Moment of Pure Spite
Bowie didn't even know he'd been replaced until he heard it on the radio.
Can you imagine? You're walking down the street, or sitting in a cafe, and suddenly you hear your melody. But the words are different. It’s Frank Sinatra’s voice booming out about being a titan of industry while your "clown" song is sitting in a trash can.
Bowie was furious. He stayed angry for about a year.
He didn't just want to be better than Sinatra; he wanted to get even. He decided to write a song that used a similar chord progression—a descending harmonic scale—but made it way more complex, surreal, and, frankly, better.
That "revenge trip" became "Life on Mars?"
How "Life on Mars?" Became the Ultimate Anti-My Way
If you look at the back of the Hunky Dory album sleeve, there’s a tiny handwritten note next to "Life on Mars?" that says: "Inspired by Frankie." It wasn't a tribute. It was a middle finger.
- The Structure: Both songs start with a simple piano melody that builds into a massive, soaring orchestral crescendo.
- The Contrast: While Sinatra is singing about a man looking back at a successful life, Bowie is singing about a "mousy girl" with "lousy hair" trying to escape her depressing reality by going to the movies.
- The Meaning: Sinatra is the establishment. Bowie is the outsider. By taking the same musical DNA and turning it into a weird, cinematic dreamscape, Bowie basically reclaimed the melody for the freaks and the dreamers.
Why This Rivalry Still Matters in 2026
In a world where AI can churn out a "Sinatra-style" track in seconds, the story of David Bowie My Way reminds us that great art often comes from human pettiness.
Bowie himself admitted later that his lyrics for "Even a Fool Learns to Love" were "terrible." He wasn't a victim of a bad industry deal so much as he was a victim of his own underdeveloped style. But that rejection forced him to evolve.
If he had become a successful songwriter for hire in 1968, he might have stayed in that lane. He might have been the guy who wrote mid-tier lyrics for European ballads. Instead, the "My Way" snub pushed him toward the avant-garde. It pushed him toward Ziggy Stardust.
What You Can Learn from Bowie's "Failure"
Honestly, the takeaway here isn't just a cool bit of rock trivia. It's a lesson in how to handle a "no."
- Acknowledge when your work isn't there yet. Bowie didn't pretend his clown song was a masterpiece once he got famous. He called it "pitiful."
- Use spite as fuel. If someone tells you that you aren't "star material," go out and invent a whole new kind of stardom.
- Don't just copy; subvert. Bowie didn't try to write a better version of "My Way." He wrote the opposite of it.
If you want to dive deeper into this, go listen to "My Way" and "Life on Mars?" back-to-back. You’ll hear the ghost of the same descending chords in the verses. One sounds like a victory lap; the other sounds like a rocket ship taking off.
Next time you're feeling overlooked, just remember: Bowie lost the biggest song of the century to Frank Sinatra, and he responded by writing one of the greatest songs of all time.
Go listen to the Divine Symmetry box set if you want to hear the actual "Even a Fool Learns to Love" demo. It’s a fascinating, cringey, and essential piece of music history that shows exactly how far a little bit of "revenge" can take you.