World’s deadliest karaoke song has seen 12 people killed for performing it

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A night out at a karaoke bar sounds like a fun way to relax with friends.

But if you're in one country, there’s a song you should never choose to sing as the consequences could be deadly.

Romy Baligula was one such unfortunate victim when he performed the classic in the Philippine city of San Mateo back in May 2007.

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As Romy belted out the unmistakeable introduction – “and now, the end is near, and now I face the final curtain” – 43-year-old security guard Robilito Ortega yelled that he was out of tune.

The 29-year-old Sinatra fan wasn’t put off, and carried on with his rendition of My Way.

At which point Ortega pulled out his revolver and shot him in the chest.

According to Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas, Romy died instantly.

That wouldn’t be a remarkable story, if it wasn’t for the fact that it keeps happening.

Podcaster Mr Ballen explained: “In the Philippines, there is one song that everybody knows you do not sing.

“In fact this song is often banned in most karaoke bars and then even when it's not banned nobody sings it.

“And the reason this song is so forbidden is because since 1998 people have begun being murdered for singing it.”

Since 1998, at least a dozen people have been killed either while singing Frank Sinatra’s classic ballad My Way, or shortly after they have finished singing it.

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“No one really understands why this song somehow elicits all this violence in people in karaoke bars in the Philippines, but it does,” Mr Ballen added.

“Some have said that the message of the song – which is about a man being a man and doing it his way kind of brings out a lot of masculine energy among people that are listening to it and it can apparently prompt people to just suddenly start acting violent”.

Butch Albarracin, the owner of a singing school in Philippines capital Manila, said the song’s lyrics, which were written by US singer Paul Anka, trigger the violence.

He said that they "evoke feelings of pride and arrogance in the singer, as if you're somebody when you're really nobody. It covers up your failures. That's why it leads to fights.”.

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