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."
Dance On Little Girl
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the arms of someone new
As you dance, as you twirl
My heart dances with you
Dance, dance on little girl
But tell me what I've done wrong
Why should he hold you tight
I am watching you
Oh, no, no, it cannot be
While I'm watching you
I'm wishing, hoping it's for me
Dance, dance on little girl
Tell me why did we part
Dance, dance on little girl
Dance out of my heart
I am watching you
No, no, no it cannot be
While I'm watching you
I'm wishing, hoping it's for me
Dance, dance on little girl
Tell me why did we part
Dance, dance on little girl
Dance out of my heart
Oh, look at you
There you go, go, go
Oh yes, you'll know
That you're wrong, wrong, wrong
Because you know that you've gone, gone, gone
Yes, you know that you've gone, gone, gone
Right out of my heart
In Paul Anka's "Dance On Little Girl," the lyrics are an expression of heartbreak and disappointment as the singer watches his former lover dance with someone else to their song. The sentiment of the lyrics is particularly well captured in the opening lines, where Anka exhorts the girl to dance on, even as his heart dances with her. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the pain of watching his former lover with someone else, and the frustration he feels as he wonders why they are not dancing together.
At the heart of the song's message is the question of why they parted, a question that the singer repeats throughout the song. His desire to be with her is palpable in the lyric "while I'm watching you, I'm wishing, hoping it's for me." The song’s lyrics evoke feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality, leaving the listener with the sense that the singer remains deeply affected by the relationship long after it has ended.
In conclusion, "Dance On Little Girl" is a poignant love song in which the singer expresses his sense of loss and longing for a woman he has lost. The lyrics are full of emotion and effectively evoke the feelings of pain that come with a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Dance, dance on little girl
Keep dancing, young lady
In the arms of someone new
Dance with a new partner
As you dance, as you twirl
Move gracefully as you make your way around
My heart dances with you
You and my heart move in sync
But tell me what I've done wrong
Please explain why you left me
Why should he hold you tight
Why is he holding you so closely?
While they're playing our song
The song that was once special to us both
I am watching you
I am keeping a close eye on you
Oh, no, no, it cannot be
I can't bear to witness you with someone else
I'm wishing, hoping it's for me
I still hope that you will come back to me
Tell me why did we part
Explain to me why we had to separate
Dance out of my heart
Dance away from my thoughts and feelings
There you go, go, go
You're moving further away from me
That you're wrong, wrong, wrong
You made a bad decision
Because you know that you've gone, gone, gone
You're fully aware that you've left me
Yes, you know that you've gone, gone, gone
You're well aware that you're no longer a part of my life
Right out of my heart
You left an empty space where my love for you once was
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Paul Anka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MnMPryoBanana
Dance, dance on little girl
In the arms of someone new
As you dance, as you twirl
My heart dances with you
Dance, dance on little girl
But tell me what I've done wrong
Why should he hold you tight
While they're playing our song
I am watching you
Oh, no, no, it cannot be
While I'm watching you
I'm wishing, hoping it's for me
Dance, dance on little girl
Tell me why did we part
Dance, dance on little girl
Dance out of my heart
I am watching you
No, no, no it cannot be
While I'm watching you
I'm wishing, hoping it's for me
Dance, dance on little girl
Tell me why did we part
Dance, dance on little girl
Dance out of my heart
Oh, look at you
There you go, go, go
Oh yes, you'll know
That you're wrong, wrong, wrong
Because you know that you've gone, gone, gone
Yes, you know that you've gone, gone, gone
Right out of my heart
@karinaport
My first record ever that I bought with my own money when it came out!!!...(I)still know the lyrics and sing along to it at 71!!
@elizalove47
😃🌺🌹
@imagenesypalabras1
❤ I used to hear it when I was a little boy. It was a oldie song back then lately in 80s .
Mixed emotions like happy and melancholic now that I understand a little what lyrics say😅
@cps7962
ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVS. I STILL HAVE THIS 45 RECORD.
@andrebette6770
me too
@pegfosnaugh7271
One of my favorites from the great Paul Anka
@ristovirtanen6396
Right at the end he brings new brilliant melodies to the song !😲✌️
@jamesframpton8120
I think my fav, Paul Anka song, My home Town a close second, love all his records really.
@charlesrodriguez9398
Watching my girl dance with the high school jock broke my heart, but no biggy she grew BIGGGGG last time I saw her at the school reunion, still one of my favorite songs from back then.
@carlavarella2449
I love all of Paul Anka's songs! Amazing