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."
Everybody Hurts
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the night
The night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life
Well hang on
Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone (hold on)
(Hold on) if you feel like letting go (hold on)
If you think you've had too much
Of this life
Well, hang on
'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand
Oh, no
Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone
No, no, no, you're not alone
If you're on your own
In this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much
Of this life
To hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So, hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts
You are not alone
The lyrics of Paul Anka's song "Everybody Hurts" talk about the struggles of life and how everybody feels that they have had enough of the challenges they encounter. The first verse speaks about those moments when you have had a long day and night, and you feel that you are alone in the world with nobody to comfort you. However, the song urges listeners to hold on and not to let go. The chorus emphasizes that everybody cries and hurts sometimes, and we should take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our pain. Additionally, it underscores that we should not throw our hands up in despair, especially if we have people who care about us.
In the second verse, the song invites listeners to sing along, acknowledging that everybody has moments when everything in life goes wrong. The lyrics encourage us to hold on and not to give up when we feel like letting go. The song also emphasizes that even though life may seem too much, we should not let it defeat us. Instead, we should keep fighting and holding on because we are not alone. Finally, the song closes with an encouraging message that we should always hold on because we are not alone, and everyone experiences hurt and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
When your day is long
Life can be exhausting and overwhelming at times.
And the night
Even when it's time to rest, the mind can still be burdened with worries and stress.
The night is yours alone
It can feel isolating when everyone else is asleep and you're left alone with your thoughts.
When you're sure you've had enough
There are moments when it seems like it would be easier to just give up.
Of this life
The struggles and difficulties that come with being alive can be overwhelming.
Well hang on
Despite the challenges, it's important to keep going and not give up hope.
Don't let yourself go
Hold on to the strength and courage within yourself.
'Cause everybody cries
It's a universal experience to feel sad and overwhelmed and it's okay to let those emotions out.
And everybody hurts sometimes
No one is immune to pain and suffering in life.
Sometimes everything is wrong
There are moments when it seems like nothing is going right in life.
Now it's time to sing along
Music can be a powerful form of comfort and connection in difficult times.
When your day is night alone (hold on)
Even in the darkest moments, there is still hope and reason to hold on.
(Hold on) if you feel like letting go (hold on)
It can be tempting to give up, but it's important to find the strength to keep moving forward.
If you think you've had too much
There are times when it seems like the weight of the world is too much to bear.
Well, hang on
Hold on to the hope that things will get better and keep pushing through.
'Cause everybody hurts
We are all in this together and we can find comfort in knowing that others share our struggles.
Take comfort in your friends
Connection and support from others can be immensely helpful in difficult times.
Don't throw your hand
Don't give up or lose hope in the face of hardship.
If you feel like you're alone
Loneliness can compound feelings of sadness and despair.
No, no, no, you're not alone
It's important to remember that others are there for us, even when it feels like we're alone.
If you're on your own
Being alone can be isolating, but it's possible to find strength within ourselves.
The days and nights are long
Time can feel like it's standing still when we're struggling.
To hang on
Hold on to hope and keep moving forward, even when it's difficult.
So, hold on, hold on
Keep persevering, don't give up.
Everybody hurts
No one is immune to pain and suffering, but we can find comfort and connection in knowing that we're not alone.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: William Thomas Berry, Peter Lawrence Buck, Michael E. Mills, John Michael Stipe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind