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."
Dianna
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Diana"
I'm so young and you're so old
This, my darling I've been told
I don't care just what they say
'Cause forever I will pray
You and I will be as free
Oh, please, stay by me, Diana
Thrills I get when you hold me close
Oh, my darling, you're the most
I love you but do you love me
Oh Diana, can't you see
I love you with all my heart
And I hope we will never part
Oh, please, stay with me, Diana
Oh my darlin', oh my lover
Tell me that there is no other
I love you with my heart
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Only you can take my heart
Only you can tear it apart
When you hold me in your loving arms
I can feel you giving all your charms
Hold me darling, ho-ho-hold me tight
Squeeze me baby with a-all your might
Oh, please, stay by me Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Paul Anka's song Diana is a classic love song that speaks about a young man's love for an older woman, Diana. The song begins with the boy acknowledging the age difference between them, but he confesses that he doesn't care much about what people say about them. He says he will pray for their love to last forever and they will be as free as the birds up in the trees. All he wants is for her to stay with him.
The chorus shows how much the boy loves Diana. He talks about the thrills he gets when she holds him close, and how she is the most important person in his life. He then asks her if she loves him in return, and pleads with her to stay with him forever. He doesn't want them to ever part.
The bridge emphasizes the boy's devotion to Diana. He tells her that he loves her with all his heart and she is the only one that can take his heart or tear it apart. Holding her in his arms is like being in heaven, and he treasures every moment they spend together. In the end, he pleads with Diana to stay with him and repeats her name several times.
Overall, the song Diana is a heartfelt tribute to a boy's love for an older woman. Paul Anka's lyrics express the depth of his emotions as he sings about his desire for her to stay with him forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so young and you're so old
I'm inexperienced in life and you have more years of experience.
This, my darling I've been told
People have informed me of our age difference, but it doesn't matter to me.
I don't care just what they say
I won't let other people's opinions interfere with my feelings for you.
'Cause forever I will pray
I will always hope and pray that we can be together forever.
You and I will be as free
We will have the freedom to be together and love each other.
As the birds up in the trees
Just like the birds in the trees, we will be free to love each other without any restrictions.
Oh, please, stay by me, Diana
I'm pleading with you to be with me and stay by my side, Diana.
Thrills I get when you hold me close
I feel a rush of excitement when you hold me close to you, Diana.
Oh, my darling, you're the most
Out of everyone else, you are the most important person to me, Diana.
I love you but do you love me
I love you with all my heart, but I'm unsure if you love me the same way, Diana.
Oh Diana, can't you see
I'm hoping you can see how deeply I care for you, Diana.
I love you with all my heart
I love you unconditionally and with all my being, Diana.
And I hope we will never part
I desperately wish that we can be together forever and never have to part ways, Diana.
Oh, please, stay with me, Diana
I'm begging you to stay with me and never leave, Diana.
Oh my darlin', oh my lover
You are my darling and my lover, Diana.
Tell me that there is no other
I'm asking you to tell me that there is nobody else in your life but me, Diana.
I love you with my heart
My love for you comes straight from the heart, Diana.
Only you can take my heart
My heart belongs to you, and only you can have it, Diana.
Only you can tear it apart
If you were to hurt me or break my heart, it would be you and only you who could do so, Diana.
When you hold me in your loving arms
I feel safe and loved when you hold me in your arms, Diana.
I can feel you giving all your charms
I notice and cherish all the loving and charming things you do for me, Diana.
Hold me darling, ho-ho-hold me tight
I desire for you to hold me tightly and never let go, Diana.
Squeeze me baby with a-all your might
I want you to hold me so tightly that I can feel your love and affection, Diana.
Oh, please, stay by me Diana
I'm asking you to please stay by my side and be with me, Diana.
Oh, please, Diana
I'm calling out to you, Diana, begging you to be with me.
Oh, please, Diana
I'm repeating my plea to you, Diana, that you stay with me and be mine.
Oh, please, Diana
One final time, I beg you to be with me and never leave, Diana.
Contributed by Chloe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sallylee1685
I'm so young and you're so old
This, my darling, I've been told
I don't care just what they say
'Cause forever I will pray
You and I will be as free
As the birds up in the trees
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
Thrills I get when you hold me close
Oh, my darling, you're the most
I love you but do you love me
Oh, Diana, can't you see
I love you with all my heart
And I hope we will never part
Oh, please stay with me, Diana
Oh, my darlin', oh, my lover
Tell me that there is no other
I love you with my heart
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Only you can take my heart
Only you can tear it apart
When you hold me in your loving arms
I can feel you giving all your charms
Hold me, darling, ho-ho hold me tight
Squeeze me baby with-a all your might
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
@kelvinpardamean
For those who want to sing, here is the lyric:
I'm so young and you're so old
This, my darling, I've been told
I don't care just what they say
'Cause forever I will pray
You and I will be as free
As the birds up in the trees
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
Thrills I get when you hold me close
Oh, my darling, you're the most
I love you but do you love me
Oh, Diana, can't you see
I love you with all my heart
And I hope we will never part
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
Oh, my darlin', oh, my lover
Tell me that there is no other
I love you with my heart
Ho-oh, ho-oh, oh
you know i love you, love you so much
Only you can take my heart
Only you can tear it apart
When you hold me in your loving arms
I can feel you giving all your charms
Hold me, darling, hold me tight
Squeeze me baby with all your might
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
Oh, please, Diana
@isabelcheng2528
Hoooo this song make me back to 17 . I'm 73 years old 😍
@potsy6470
any life advice maam?
@isabelcheng2528
@@potsy6470 Love music ,exercise more . Be optimistic and be satisfied !! Wishu have a wonderful 2121 !!!!
@isabelcheng2528
@@potsy6470 sorry 2021
@potsy6470
@@isabelcheng2528 thanks maam
@vlissingse
I knoew what you are talking about :) I'm 75! Happy New Year!
@enjij4093
How many generations are in love with this man
@quinlandboy1013
Only the music not him
@arcane1282
Him and your profile picture lmao
@quinlandboy1013
@@tastyyummycutehomecooknepa9288 u shut up bitch