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."
Find My Way Back To Your Heart
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was wrong and you were right.
Hurts so bad each and every day
And you’re the reason I feel this way.
Let my words be the only key
To take this back to where we used to be,
Making it up to you.
[Chorus]
I’ve got to find my way back,
Find my way back to your heart.
I’ve got to find my way back,
Find my way back to your heart.
I’ve got to find my way back,
Find my way back to your heart.
I’ve got to find my way back to your heart.
I gave so little and lost so long
And now I’m missing what I haven’t got.
I know I hurt you when I walked away
Saying things that lovers shouldn’t say.
It’s never easy when you both shut down
But “I still love you is a lovely sound”
Tell me you want, but I want too.
[Chorus]
What did I do? I miss you so,
Don’t fade away, can’t let go.
Do you miss me too? ( I miss you too)
I need you, want you, be there.
[Chorus]
The lyrics of this song revolve around regret and longing for a lost love. The singer admits that they were wrong and the other person was right, leading to the end of their relationship. They are left with a deep pain that they attribute to the other person. The chorus repeats the phrase "I've got to find my way back to your heart" as the singer realizes that they want to make amends and try to win back their lover.
The second verse delves deeper into the regret that the singer feels. They realize that they gave so little to the relationship and lost so much by walking away. They acknowledge that they hurt their lover with their words and actions. The bridge of the song highlights the difficulty of repairing a broken relationship, but the singer still believes that their love for the other person is strong enough to make it work.
The song is poignant in its simplicity and honesty. It acknowledges the real struggles that come with relationships and the pain that can result from a breakup. The singer is willing to take responsibility for their mistakes and try to make things right, even if it means admitting vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Another long and restless night,
I spent another sleepless night alone and regretful about our situation.
I was wrong and you were right.
I realize now that I made a mistake and you were correct in your actions.
Hurts so bad each and every day
The pain of losing you and being without you is a constant and unbearable burden.
And you’re the reason I feel this way.
You are the one who holds my heart and without you, I feel incomplete and lost.
Let my words be the only key
My words are all I have left to try and make things right between us.
To take this back to where we used to be,
I want to go back to the time when we were happy and in love.
Making it up to you.
I want to make it up to you and show you that I am committed to being a better partner.
I’ve got to find my way back,
I am determined to find a way to get back together with you.
Find my way back to your heart.
I want to win your heart back and prove to you that I am worthy of your love.
I gave so little and lost so long
I realize now that I didn't give you enough and I have been alone and unhappy for a long time because of it.
And now I’m missing what I haven’t got.
I took for granted what we had and now that it's gone, I miss it more than anything.
I know I hurt you when I walked away
I caused you pain when I left, and I am sorry.
Saying things that lovers shouldn’t say.
I said things out of anger and frustration that were hurtful and not true.
It’s never easy when you both shut down
It's difficult when both of us are unwilling to communicate and work through our problems.
But “I still love you is a lovely sound”
Despite the difficulties, hearing you say that you still love me gives me hope that we can make things work.
Tell me you want, but I want too.
I want you to tell me that you want to try and make things work, but I also know that I want to make things right between us.
What did I do? I miss you so,
I am regretful and confused about what I did wrong, and I miss you terribly.
Don’t fade away, can’t let go.
I don't want to lose you and I am not ready to give up on us.
Do you miss me too? ( I miss you too)
I am hoping that you feel the same way I do and miss me as much as I miss you.
I need you, want you, be there.
I need you in my life, I want to be with you, and I promise to be there for you always.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind