Karaoke bar marks 25,000th 'My Way'

Published: Oct. 22, 2009 at 3:38 PM

TOKYO, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The owner of a Tokyo karaoke bar says he has heard people sing Frank Sinatra's "My Way" their way 25,000 times at his bar, and nearly all were awful.

Hide Saito, owner of Smash Hits karaoke bar, said the tune is such a popular choice among the tone deaf it was regularly heard about eight times a night when he first opened the business 25 years ago, The Times of London reported Thursday.

Saito said he has since instituted a rule limiting the same song to five renditions per night, but that has not stemmed the tide of Sinatra wannabes.

"It is just awful hearing the same few songs screeched out night after night after night, but how can I refuse? People come here to sing karaoke, and you have to let them pick the songs they want," he said. "But I just don't know what it is that makes people always go for 'My Way.' They could do Metallica or Bon Jovi -- I like them. We have tens of thousands of songs to choose from, but they always finish with a bad version of 'My Way.' Usually after ruining 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'"

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