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."
Get Here
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can reach me by trail way
You can reach me on an airplane,
You can reach me with your mind
You can reach me by caravan,
Cross the desert like an Arab man
I don't care how you get here,
You can reach me by sail boat,
Climb a tree and swing rope to rope
Take a sled and slide down the slope,
Into these arms of mine
You can jump on a speedy colt,
Cross the border in a blaze of hope
I don't care how you get here,
Just get here if you can
There are hills and mountains between us
There's Always something to get over
If I had my way,
You would be closer to me
You can windsurf into my life,
Take me up on a carpet ride
You can make it in a big balloon,
But you better make it soon
You can reach me by caravan,
Cross the desert like an Arab man yeah
I don't care how you get here,
Just get here if you can
I don't care, I need you right here right now
I need you right here right now right by my side
Yeah yeah yeah
I don't care how you get here,
Just get here, get here
I don't care how you get here,
Just get here if you can
Get here if you can
"Get Here" is a love ballad by Paul Anka that expresses the intense longing for someone who is far away. Through the repetitive chorus 'just get here if you can', the song emphasizes how insignificant the means of transportation is as long as the person can be with his lover. The opening stanza suggests that one can reach the singer by railway, trailway, airplane or even with the power of their mind. The second stanza talks about reaching him by caravan, sailing boat, or even sledging down a slope. The third stanza further elaborates on more challenging means of transportation, like riding a speedy colt or floating in a big balloon. The lyrics denote that distance should not come in the way of love, and the singer wants his/her lover in their arms at any cost, emphasizing the idea that true love is superior to everyday obstacles.
The following significant stanza, 'There are hills and mountains between us, there's always something to get over' suggests that the singer understands the challenges present in their relationship but that they can be surpassed. The final stanza is a plea to the person they love to come to them immediately. The lyrics suggest that the singer cannot stand to be without their love and needs them by their side. The song showcases the experience of 'long-distance love', where the distance between two individuals is overbearing and sometimes seems impossible to overcome.
Line by Line Meaning
You can reach me by railway,
You have the option to travel by train to reach me
You can reach me by trail way
You can also reach me by walking on a trail
You can reach me on an airplane,
You can reach me by flying on an airplane
You can reach me with your mind
You can also connect with me mentally or emotionally
You can reach me by caravan,
You also have the option to travel by caravan, like an Arabian man crossing the desert
Cross the desert like an Arab man
Travel across the desert like the ancient Arabian nomads did
I don't care how you get here,
The specific method of transportation is not important
Just get here if you can
All that matters is that you make it here to be with me
You can reach me by sail boat,
You can sail to my location
Climb a tree and swing rope to rope
You could get creative and use your own strength and resources to get here
Take a sled and slide down the slope,
You could even use a sled and slide down a snowy slope to reach me
Into these arms of mine
Ultimately, the goal is for you to be with me in my embrace
You can jump on a speedy colt,
You could ride a horse at a fast pace to cross the border
Cross the border in a blaze of hope
You could cross the border with a sense of urgency and optimism
There are hills and mountains between us
There are physical obstacles separating us
There's Always something to get over
However, these obstacles can be overcome with effort and determination
If I had my way,
If it were up to me,
You would be closer to me
I would make sure you were physically closer to me
You can windsurf into my life,
You can even windsurf across the water to reach me
Take me up on a carpet ride
You could fly on a magic carpet, like in a fairytale
You can make it in a big balloon,
You could ride in a hot air balloon to reach me
But you better make it soon
However, time is of the essence and you should hurry to be with me
Just get here if you can
Again, the most important thing is that you make it to me in any way possible
I don't care, I need you right here right now
I am desperate for your presence with me immediately
I need you right here right now right by my side
I need you to be physically close to me, by my side
Yeah yeah yeah
A simple exclamation of agreement and enthusiasm
Get here if you can
The final plea to be with me, no matter the circumstance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brenda Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind