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."
Hello
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside my mind
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips
A thousand times
I sometimes see you
Pass outside my door
HelloIs it me you're looking for?
I can see it in your eyes
I can see it in your smile
You're all I've ever wanted
And my arms are open wide
Because you know just what to say
And you know just what to do
And I want to tell you so much
I love you
I long to see the sunlight in your hair
And tell you time and time again
How much I care
Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow
Hello
I've just got to let you know
Because I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely?
Or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart
For I haven't got a clue
But let me start by saying I love you
Hello
Because I wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely?
Or is someone loving you?
Tell me how to win your heart
For I haven't got a clue
But let me start by saying I love you
The song "Hello" by Paul Anka begins with the lyrics "I've been alone with you inside my mind," which is an indication that the singer has been thinking a lot about the person they are singing to. They may have gone through a period of separation, and in their mind, they've had a thousand imaginary conversations and kisses. The singer reveals that sometimes they see the person they are singing to pass by their door, which suggests that they live nearby, but the distance between them is still great.
The chorus of the song, "Hello, is it me you're looking for?" shows the eagerness of the singer to reconnect with the person they are singing to. The longing in their voice continues as they sing, "I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile, you're all I've ever wanted, and my arms are open wide." These lyrics indicate that the singer is willing to make themselves vulnerable to the person they are singing to, for they are willing to put their affection on display.
In the second stanza, the singer shares their desire to see the sunlight in the person's hair and tell them "time and time again how much I care." The singer's emotional state becomes even more evident in the line "sometimes I feel my heart will overflow." In the final chorus, the singer acknowledges their lack of knowledge on how to win the person's heart but resolves to start by telling them "I love you."
Line by Line Meaning
I've been alone with you
I've been thinking of you, even when we're not together
Inside my mind
I imagine being with you in my thoughts
And in my dreams I've kissed your lips
I fantasize about romantically being with you
A thousand times
I've dreamt of being with you countless times
I sometimes see you
I catch glimpses of you
Pass outside my door
But you don't notice me
Hello
I want to reach out to you
Is it me you're looking for?
Do you want me like how I want you?
I can see it in your eyes
Your eyes give away how you feel
I can see it in your smile
Your smile tells me everything I need to know
You're all I've ever wanted
I want to be with you more than anything else
And my arms are open wide
I welcome you with open arms
Because you know just what to say
You have the words that make my heart sing
And you know just what to do
You have the actions that make my heart race
And I want to tell you so much
I want to express my deepest feelings to you
I love you
I am in love with you
I long to see the sunlight in your hair
I yearn to experience the joy of being around you
And tell you time and time again
I want to keep reminding you
How much I care
How deeply I feel for you
Sometimes I feel my heart will overflow
My emotions for you are so strong that they overwhelm me
I've just got to let you know
I have to share my feelings with you
Because I wonder where you are
I think about you all the time and wonder where you are
And I wonder what you do
I am curious about your life and what you do
Are you somewhere feeling lonely?
I worry that you may be feeling alone
Or is someone loving you?
I also worry that someone else may have captured your heart
Tell me how to win your heart
I want to know what I can do to make you mine
For I haven't got a clue
I am unsure about what steps to take
But let me start by saying
The only thing I do know is that I love you
I love you
I am deeply in love with you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Lionel B. Jr. Richie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joyceyolandastorch8964
I realize this is a jazz festival, and that is why Paul is doing some of these ballads in a jazzy style. He did a great job on "Hello". I did that song in the 80s when I was active with bands, but I did it the Lionel Ritchie way. It was a crowd pleasing song.
Paul is so good , he can make any song sound great. 💖
@edgarromero432
it's just amazing! !! love the song originally but this one.. ..... simply wonderful .
@itzalopez3090
What is the original?
@bauldemar
Paul transform any song and make it brand new... love it!
@MrAnthonyVance
Paul was all class on this number and in the driver's seat. Loved it. Applause!
@veronicasalazar9252
Paul anka es bellisimos y agradable es un gran cantaautor!! 🇲🇽🇨🇦🇪🇸👍🎶🍁🐯💋🎵😁
@aviebriani6054
Love is in the air! Brilliant Version.
@sailingsam3815
Great album..do more..great arrangements on those 2 albums.
@Joseph.Gallardo
I can only agree with what u guys already wrote. "Rock swings" is a great album and Anka gave every cover a very special note. But unfortunateley the best song of the whole album, at least in my opinion, is not viewable in germany. I heard "eyes without a face" today for the first time and all I can say is, its simply a masterpiece. Its one of the songs to listen to in a cold winter, chillin alone with ur girl in front of the ingel, up in a chalet.
@JiskaalRaw
This is the voice and music I was searching for so long! I love it!