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."
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
"Glory to the new-born King!
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the favored one.
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail, th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Hail! the heaven-born
Prince of peace!
Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the son of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King !"
Paul Anka's version of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" is a joyful tribute to the arrival of Christ. This song paints a picture of the happiness, hope, and salvation that are born from Jesus being born. The song begins with hymnic notes of the angels announcing the arrival of the newborn king, bringing "Glory to the New Born King." The song is then lulled to an easy tempo, asking for universal appreciation of the skies' victorious songs, encouraging all nations to join in the euphoric proclamation that the Christ is born in Bethlehem.
The song's second verse highlights the magnificence of Christ, describing him as the most elevated prince of heaven, the eternal ruler adored by the angels in the heavens, who became man to live among men. The verse concludes with more emphatic cries of "Glory to the New Born King!" The song's final verse portrays Christ's gracious intent for all mankind, which is to bring "Light and life" to everyone, dispense healing wings, bring an end to death, and give a new life to humankind.
In conclusion, Paul Anka's interpretation of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing" reminds us that we are not alone, and that Christ's arrival should bring joy, peace, and hope to all mankind. It serves as a powerful message to us in the form of beautiful imagery, that we should emulate the angels' expressions of happiness at the sight of Jesus's birth and share it with the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"
Listen! The angels are singing and giving glory to the recently born King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.
There is peace and forgiveness on earth now that God and sinners have reconciled.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With th' angelic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem."
All nations should rise and rejoice, joining the celebratory chorus of the angels who proclaim the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.
Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold him come, Offspring of the favored one.
Christ, who is adored in the highest heaven, is the everlasting Lord. He has arrived on earth, born as the offspring of a chosen one.
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see, Hail, th'incarnate Deity, Pleased, as man, with men to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Although God is hidden in flesh, it is still possible to see the divinity of Jesus. He is pleased to live among men as a man, and he is our Emmanuel!
Hail! the heaven-born Prince of peace! Hail! the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, Risen with healing in his wings
We should all hail the heaven-born Prince of peace and the Son of Righteousness. He brings light and life to everyone, and he heals those in need.
Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the son of earth, Born to give them second birth.
He laid his glory aside in meekness and was born so that humans might never die again. He came to raise the people of earth and to give them new life.
Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the new-born King!"
Once more, the angels sing out and offer glory to the newly born King!
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Abkco Music Inc., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Plagianos
What's not to like about this song he's got a beautiful voice he improves every song he sings
Charles Bruno
Amo. Fica bem Paul..