the deadliest karaoke song

They take their karaoke seriously in the Philippines. How serious? There have apparently been countless fistfights and occasional stabbings erupting from disputes over one song -- "My Way." Singing the Frank Sinatra classic can apparently get you killed: Sinatra Song Often Strikes Deadly Chord.

The authorities do not know exactly how many people have been killed warbling "My Way" in karaoke bars over the years in the Philippines, or how many fatal fights it has fueled. But the news media have recorded at least half a dozen victims in the past decade and includes them in a subcategory of crime dubbed the "My Way Killings."

The killings have produced urban legends about the song and left Filipinos groping for answers. Are the killings the natural byproduct of the country's culture of violence, drinking and machismo? Or is there something inherently sinister in the song?

Whatever the reason, many karaoke bars have removed the song from their playbooks. And the country's many Sinatra lovers, like Mr. Gregorio here in this city in the southernmost Philippines, are practicing self-censorship out of perceived self-preservation.

The article goes as far as to suggest that the odds of getting killed during karaoke may actually be higher in the Philippines. Like I said, they take their karaoke seriously. So just be careful the next time you hit up a Manila karaoke joint. Sing at your own risk. Be courteous, don't hog the mic, and pick a song that nobody gives a damn about.