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."
For Once In My Life
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone I’ve needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I’ll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I’m not alone anymore
For once I can say
This is mine you can’t take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
For once I can say
This is mine you can’t take it
As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
In Paul Anka's song "For Once In My Life," the lyrics depict a person who finally has someone who needs and loves them. The first verse explains how this person has been waiting for someone who needs them for a long time, and now that they have found this person, they feel unafraid to go where life leads them because they know they will be strong. The second verse talks about how they can now touch what their heart used to dream of and how someone warm like the person they have found has made their dreams come true. The third verse explains how this person will not let sorrow hurt them anymore because they have found someone who won't desert them, and now they are not alone anymore.
The song seems like a declaration of gratitude for finally finding the person the singer has been searching for. The lyrics give off a feeling of liberation and newfound strength. The person who sings this song is confident and grateful to have found someone who has given them unconditional love and support.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
After a long time, I am experiencing a feeling where someone actually requires me in their life.
Someone I’ve needed so long
I have been longing for the companionship of this person for a very long time now.
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I’ll be strong
Now I am finally fearless to let life take me to places where it wants to as I feel strong enough to face anything that comes in my way.
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of Long before I knew Someone warm like you Who have my dreams come true
I am actually able to feel the things which I had been only dreaming of in my heart previously. The reason for this is someone very kind like you who helped turn my desires into reality.
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me Not like it's hurt me before
I have decided to not let grief affect me anymore like it did in the past.
For once I have someone I know won't desert me I’m not alone anymore
I have finally found someone trustworthy who I know will not abandon me, and this has made me feel like I’m not alone in this world anymore.
For once I can say This is mine you can’t take it As long as I know I have love I can make it
I can confidently assert that this is something that belongs to me, and nobody can snatch it away from me. This is my love which gives me the strength to navigate through life with ease.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
This feeling of someone actually requiring me in their life is exceptionally rare for me, and that is what is making me so joyful.
For once I can say This is mine you can’t take it
I am able to confidently assert that this belongs to me, and nobody can take it away from me.
As long as I know I have love we can make it For once in my life I have someone who needs me
If I have love in my life, I know we can overcome any obstacle that comes in our way. This is what makes me feel so cherished - the fact that I have someone who needs me, who is willing to go through life with me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind