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."
Blue on Blue
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blue on blue, heartache on heartache
Blue on blue now that we are through
Blue on blue, heartache on heartache
And I find I can't get over losing you
I walk along the street we used to walk
Two by two, lovers pass
'Cause you're not here with me
Now the trees are bare
There's sadness in the air
And I'm as blue as I can be
[Chorus]
Night after lonely night, we meet in dreams
As I run to your side
You wait with open arms, open arms
That now are closed to me
Through a veil of tears
Your vision disappears
And I'm as blue as I can be
[Chorus]
"Blue on Blue" is a melancholic ballad about heartache and the pain of losing someone you love. The lyrics talk about the singer walking through familiar streets they used to walk with their lover and seeing other couples doing the same, which only deepens their sadness. The trees are bare, and there's a sense of melancholy in the air that mirrors the singer's emotional state. The chorus repeats a few times, emphasizing the heartache and the fact that it's tough to move on from losing someone you loved deeply.
The second verse describes how, even in dreams, the singer can't help but feel the pain of their loss. In their dreams, they run to their lover's side, but in reality, the person's arms are closed to them. The last line reiterates the sadness that the singer feels, crystallizing the song's central theme of being overwhelmed by loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue on blue, heartache on heartache
Feeling the agony of the heart, experiencing the pain of a broken relationship.
Blue on blue now that we are through
After the end of a relationship, the pain only compounds and adds to the already unbearable feelings of sadness and heartbreak.
And I find I can't get over losing you
Despite the passage of time, the singer is unable to move on from the hurt and memories of the person who has left him.
I walk along the street we used to walk
The familiar places that were once shared with the lost love are now a source of pain and constant reminders of what used to be.
Two by two, lovers pass
Couples in love are seen walking happily together, which only makes the singer's loneliness and heartache more apparent.
And as they're passing by, I could die
The sight of happy couples evokes such strong feelings of loss and pain that the singer feels like he can't go on.
'Cause you're not here with me
The singer's sense of emptiness and loss is due to the absence of the person he loved and lost.
Now the trees are bare
The changing seasons reflect the bleakness and sorrow that the singer now feels.
There's sadness in the air
The atmosphere is heavy with feelings of melancholy and hurt.
And I'm as blue as I can be
The singer is consumed by his feelings of sadness and despair.
Night after lonely night, we meet in dreams
Even in dreams, memories of the lost love continue to haunt the singer and prolong his suffering.
As I run to your side
In his dreams, the singer longs to be reunited with the one he loves.
You wait with open arms, open arms
In the dream, the singer imagines the lost love welcoming him back with open arms, much like it used to be before the breakup.
That now are closed to me
The reality is that the love he once knew is now gone, and he can never get it back.
Through a veil of tears
Even in his dreams, the singer is unable to escape the sadness and pain of his reality, which seems to seep through into his subconscious.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANK WESS, WILLIAM BASIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Angelo
This song is incredible!
Catalina Herrera
Masterpiece
Michael Cohen
Vintons version is so much better.... This is worse than good karaoke, totally crass. Vocals are heavy and blunt. Song is meant to be like silk.