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 Young Lovers
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think about a night
When the earth smelled of summer
And the sky was streaked with white
And the soft mist of England
was sleeping on a hill
I remember this
There are new lovers now
on the same silent hill
Looking on the same blue sea
And I know Tom and I
are a part of them all
And they're all a part of Tom and me
Hello Young lovers whoever you are
I hope your troubles are few
All my good wishes go with you tonight
I've been in love like you
Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star
Be brave and faithful and true
Cling very close to each other tonight
I've been in love like you
I know how it feels to have wings on your heels
And to fly down a street in a trance
You fly down a street on a chance that you'll meet
And you meet not really by chance
Don't cry young lovers whatever you do
Don't cry because I'm alone
All of my mem'ries happy tonight
I've had a love of my own
I've had a love of my own like yours
I've had a love of my own
In "Hello Young Lovers," Paul Anka reminisces about an idyllic summer night in England when he thinks of Tom. The song is a beautiful reflection of fleeting moments that are cherished forever. The gentle melancholy of the first verse is supported by the connectedness of the lovers across time that the second verse emphasizes. Anka is describing how Tom's memory connects him to all the young lovers looking at the same sea and sleeping on the same hills in England. When he wishes them well, he's saying people live, love, laugh, and cry, and then create memories that are shared by others in their own ways, forming an interconnected web.
Anka provides a beautiful message to the young lovers, urging them to be brave, faithful, and true. The lyrics are soothing and nostalgic, emphasizing the idea that it is essential to hold tightly onto the memories of the special times in our lives. The phrase "follow your star" is a beautiful message within the song, reminding us all to go forth boldly and follow our dreams, values, and beliefs. The song stands as an outstanding example of a beautiful, meditative ballad with evocative storytelling and playful lyricism.
Line by Line Meaning
When I think of Tom
When I'm reminded of Tom
I think about a night
There's a particular night that comes to mind
When the earth smelled of summer
It was the summertime and I remember the smell of it
And the sky was streaked with white
The sky was partly cloudy, with white patches among the blue
And the soft mist of England
There was a mist or fog in the air, especially common in England
was sleeping on a hill
That mist lay or hung over a hill in the distance
I remember this
This memory is vivid for me
And I always will
I'll never forget it
There are new lovers now
There are lovers today, too
on the same silent hill
In the same place as Tom and I were
Looking on the same blue sea
Looking at the same ocean
And I know Tom and I
I'm certain that Tom and I
are a part of them all
Are connected to all those other lovers
And they're all a part of Tom and me
We're all connected in some way
Hello Young lovers whoever you are
Greetings to all young lovers out there, no matter who you are
I hope your troubles are few
I hope you're doing well and not encountering too many difficulties
All my good wishes go with you tonight
I'm sending you all my good thoughts and best wishes for tonight
I've been in love like you
I know what it's like to be in love, just as you do
Be brave, young lovers, and follow your star
Don't be afraid, young lovers, and follow your dreams
Be brave and faithful and true
Have courage and loyalty
Cling very close to each other tonight
Stay close and hold each other tight
I've been in love like you
Again, I can identify with your feelings of love
I know how it feels to have wings on your heels
I know what it's like to feel so happy I could fly
And to fly down a street in a trance
To walk down the street in a daze, feeling light and unburdened
You fly down a street on a chance that you'll meet
Walking down the street, there's always the hope you'll run into someone
And you meet not really by chance
You meet because of fate, not just by random chance
Don't cry young lovers whatever you do
No matter what, don't cry, young lovers
Don't cry because I'm alone
Don't cry for me just because I'm single
All of my mem'ries happy tonight
All my memories are joyful this evening
I've had a love of my own
I've experienced my own love before, just like you
I've had a love of my own like yours
My former love was similar to what you're feeling now
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein Ii, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind