He began singing as a child, first starting in the St Elijah Syrian Orthodox Church choir in Ottawa. As a student at Ottawa's Fisher Park High School he was part of a trio called the Bobby Soxers.
Encouraged by his parents, at age 14 he recorded his first single, I Confess. In 1957 he went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC, singing a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter, Diana Ayoub. The song, Diana, brought Anka instant stardom as it rocketed to number one on the charts. Diana is one of the best selling 45s in music history. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain and then, with Buddy Holly, toured Australia.
His talent went beyond singing, writing Buddy Holly's giant hit, It Doesn't Matter Anymore, the theme for Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, Tom Jones' biggest hit record, She's A Lady, and the English lyrics for My Way, Frank Sinatra's signature song and sung by many well known artists, including Greta Keller, for whom the words were very fitting.
In the 1960s, Anka would begin acting in motion pictures as well as writing songs for them, most notably the theme for the hit movie The Longest Day. From his movie work, he wrote and recorded his monster hit, Lonely Boy. He then went on to become one of the first pop singers to perform at the Las Vegas casinos.
After more than ten years without a hit record, in 1974 he teamed up with Odia Coates to record the number 1 hit, Having My Baby. They would record two more duets that both made it into the Top 10. In 1975, he wrote a jingle for Kodak called The Times of Your Life. The jingle became so popular, he recorded it as a full song, The Times of Your Life, and it became a hit a year later.
By the 1970s, Anka's career centered around adult contemporary and big-band standards, played regularly in Las Vegas. On September 6, 1990, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He returned to his home town to buy a part of the Ottawa Senators hockey team.
In 1999 he visited Lebanon for sell-out performances at the Forum de Beyrouth (The Beirut Forum).
Paul Anka was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. In 1991, the Government of France honored him with the title "Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters". He was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.
On the WB show Gilmore Girls, Lorelai named her new dog Paul Anka. He also made a guest appearance as himself in the episode "The Real Paul Anka", which aired April 11, 2006.
Paul Anka recently did a live session on Live @ The Orange Lounge playing songs from his new cover-CD Rock Swings.
Notable rap artist Jay-Z featured his vocals on the track I Did it my Way on The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse in 2002.
He became infamous amongst musicians (and more recently to internet users) for a mid-70's after-show tirade which was secretly recorded by a "snake we later fired" (Anka: Fresh Air interview). The diatribe, in which Anka berates his crew and band members, has spawned a number of in-joke references and quotations, the main ones being: "The guys get shirts", "Where's Joe?", and "Slice like a hammer."
And So It's Goodbye
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So should I cry
You pray a tear
Into my eyes
So now I say goodbye
I can you pray
This heart of mine
For such a time
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Why, tell me why
Why is my heart burning
Please, tell me please
Why is it did
That my heart is yerding
You can go
See it I care
Take your love
And you can share
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Why, tell me why
Why is my heart burning
Please, tell me please
Why is it did
That my heart is yerding
You can go
See it I care
Take your love
And you can share
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so
Goodbye to you
My love
"So it's Goodbye" by Paul Anka is a song that paints the picture of someone who has just been left by their lover. The singer is heartbroken and confused, as they question the reasons for their lover's departure. They express their pain through tears and heartache, still unable to comprehend why their heart is yearning so much. The lyrics carry a message of letting go with grace and acceptance, acknowledging that their love is gone, and they need to move on. Despite the sadness and difficulty of saying goodbye, the singer knows it's time to let go.
One interesting fact about "So it's Goodbye" is that it was written by Paul Anka for his wife, who had just left him. He penned the song in a moment of heartbreak, expressing his emotions through the lyrics. Another interesting fact is that the song was released in 1959, and it has since become a timeless classic. Over the years, it has been covered by several artists, including Engelbert Humperdinck and Frank Sinatra. The track has also been featured in numerous movies and TV shows.
On the musical front, "So it's Goodbye" has a slow, melancholy tempo that matches the mood of the lyrics. It features a simple melody, with Anka's voice soaring through the chorus with powerful emotion. The song is played in the key of A Major and is accompanied by a piano and a string section. The chords used in the composition include A, D, E, F#m, and Bm.
In conclusion, "So it's Goodbye" is a beautiful and emotional song that captures the pain of love lost. It's a powerful ballad that resonates with anyone who has experienced the heartache of a broken relationship. Paul Anka's raw and vulnerable performance shines through, making this song a timeless classic that will continue to tug at our heartstrings for generations to come.
Chords:
Intro: A D E A
Verse: A D E F#m
Chorus: Bm E A D E A
Line by Line Meaning
So it's goodbye
We are saying goodbye to each other now
So should I cry
Are tears an appropriate response to our parting?
You pray a tear
Your sadness is reflected in my eyes
Into my eyes
I can see your pain through the tears
So now I say goodbye
I am ready to say goodbye and move on
I can you pray
Can your heart truly be sincere when you say 'I love you'?
This heart of mine
My heart is fragile and vulnerable
Put I love you
But I still love you
For such a time
Even though our time together has come to an end
Oh, oh oh
Expressing dismay and sorrow
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Your actions have caused me a great deal of pain
Why, tell me why
Asking the painful question of why things had to end
Why is my heart burning
The pain in my heart is too much to bear
Please, tell me please
An appeal to understand the reasons behind our separation
Why is it did
What caused our love to fail?
That my heart is yerding
My heart is aching with longing for what we had
You can go
Our relationship is over and you are free to leave
See it I care
I wish you well, though it hurts me deeply
Take your love
You can have your love back, as it is no longer mine
And you can share
You are free to share your love with someone new
Now you hurt me so
The pain of our separation is too much to bear
Goodbye to you
A final farewell to each other, and to what we had
My love
The love I had for you will always be remembered
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aliciahurtado9999
Asi que es adios
So it's goodbye
Entonces debería llorar
So should I cry
Rezas una lágrima
You pray a tear
En mis ojos
Into my eyes
Entonces ahora me despido
So now I say goodbye
Puedo rezar
I can you pray
Este corazon mio
This heart of mine
Poner te amo
Put I love you
Por tal tiempo
For such a time
Oh oh oh
Oh, oh oh
Ahora me lastimas, oh, oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Por qué Dime por qué
Why, tell me why
¿Por qué mi corazón arde?
Why is my heart burning
Por favor dime por favor
Please, tell me please
¿Por qué se hizo?
Why is it did
Que mi corazon esta yendo
That my heart is yerding
Se puede ir
You can go
Verlo me importa
See it I care
Toma tu amor
Take your love
Y puedes compartir
And you can share
Oh oh oh
Oh, oh oh
Ahora me lastimas, oh, oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Por qué Dime por qué
Why, tell me why
¿Por qué mi corazón arde?
Why is my heart burning
Por favor dime por favor
Please, tell me please
¿Por qué se hizo?
Why is it did
Que mi corazon esta yendo
That my heart is yerding
Se puede ir
You can go
Verlo me importa
See it I care
Toma tu amor
Take your love
Y puedes compartir
And you can share
Oh oh oh
Oh, oh oh
Ahora me lastimas tanto
Now you hurt me so
Adios a ti
Goodbye to you
Mi amor
My love
@pjf654
1959.........So it´s goodbye
So should I cry
You pray a tear
Into my eyes
So now I say goodbye
I can you pray
This heart of mine
Put I love you
For such a time
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Why, tell me why
Why is my heart burning
Please, tell me please
Why is it did
That my heart is yerding
You can go
See it I care
Take your love
And you can share
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so oh, oh
Why, tell me why
Why is my heart burning
Please, tell me please
Why is it did
That my heart is yerding
You can go
See it I care
Take your love
And you can share
Oh, oh oh
Now you hurt me so
Goodbye to you
My love............1959
@joyceyolandastorch8964
This is another beautiful song from Paul. Its the style of music we were all into in 1959. He always sings with a lot of feeling. The Don Costa orchestra gave this song a really beautiful backround that enhanced this recording. I would imagine that Paul wrote this song too, more than likely.🎹🎤🎶🎵😀💖
@rodolfofilippini7407
De Asunción Paraguay
En el año 1959 tenía 12 años, inolvidable.
Ahora que a través de YouTube podemos buscar todas las musicas que hemos escuchado en nuestra niñez y en nuestra juventud, mis canciones preferidas son las Paul Anka, y esta la primera
@alisoncastro2461
Maravilloso. Maravilloso Paul Anka. Saludos Ciudad Viña Del MAR 🇹🇼😃
@miriamdiaz9820
Te amo Paul Anka me enloquece tu música yo tenía 14 años y ya me enloquecía tu música SOS un encanto !!!!
@rolivero1954
gran temazo de paul anka debe de haber sido todo un acierto en su tiempo y creo hasta hoy que todo aquel que lo escuche quedara inprecionado ,hermoso tema.
@JoseismaelFariasflores
Si Ruric Antonio si fueron lo mejor de hasta estes tiempos .Eran aquellos años cuando no había mucha difusión .Recuerdo de mi infancia.Saludos
@hernanantonio6472
Con permiso, efectivamente, en esos años habian muchos programas juveniles que tenian un ranking mensual, y por lo general Paul Anka los ganaba ya que sacaba temas de gran exito constantemente.
@gabrielmunoz2814
tiene toda la razon..fue numero uno durante muchos meses y en un tiempo donde habia muy buena musica
@adolfoencina6046
J
@danielfarje8857
One of his best songs, beautiful performance by him and the band!