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."
I've Gotta Be Me
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
I've gotta be me, I've gotta be me
What else can I be but what I am?
I want to live, not merely survive
And I won't give up this dream of life
That keeps me alive
The dream that I see makes me what I am
That faraway prize, a world of success
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
I won't settle down or settle for less
As long as there's half a chance that I can have it all
I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me
I've gotta be me, I've gotta be me
Daring to try to do it or die, I've gotta be me
I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me
I've gotta be me, I've gotta be me
Daring to try to do it or die,
I've gotta be me
The song I’ve Gotta Be Me by Paul Anka is an anthem of self-affirmation and a call to individualism. The lyrics convey a strong message of self-acceptance, self-love, and the pursuit of personal dreams and aspirations. It highlights the importance of being true to oneself regardless of the challenges, pressures, and expectations of the society or other people.
The first verse reflects the struggle of finding one’s place in the world, and the need to embrace one’s uniqueness and identity. Anka emphasizes that becoming something else just to fit in or please others is not an option; he declares that he can only be what he is, and nothing else can change that. The second verse emphasizes the importance of living life to the fullest and not merely surviving. It mentions the dream that keeps Anka alive, which is likely his passion for music and performing.
The third verse reveals Anka’s ambition and determination to achieve his goals, even if it means going it alone and risking failure. He acknowledges that the pursuit of success comes with sacrifices and that he won't settle for less than what he deserves. The song ends with an assertion that being oneself is the most important thing, and one must dare to try doing it or die trying.
Overall, I’ve Gotta Be Me is a song that encourages people to embrace their individuality, to follow their dreams, and to take risks. It preaches self-love and self-affirmation and is an inspiration to those who feel they are different, odd or do not fit in.
Line by Line Meaning
Whether I'm right, whether I'm wrong
No matter how my decisions turn out, they are mine to make
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
Whether or not I fit in, I will always be true to myself
I've gotta be me, I've gotta be me
I must always stay true to who I am
What else can I be but what I am?
I can only be myself, and I refuse to be anyone else
I want to live, not merely survive
I have a deep desire to thrive and make the most of my life
And I won't give up this dream of life
I will never abandon my ambition to live life to the fullest
That keeps me alive
The hope of achieving my dreams gives me the energy and motivation to keep going
The dream that I see makes me what I am
My aspirations shape who I am as a person
That faraway prize, a world of success
The distant goal of achieving success is always on my mind
Is waiting for me if I heed the call
Success is attainable if I am willing to put in the effort and take risks
I won't settle down or settle for less
I refuse to accept mediocrity or less than what I truly want
As long as there's half a chance that I can have it all
As long as there is even a small possibility of achieving my goals, I will continue to pursue them
I'll go it alone, that's how it must be
Sometimes I will need to take on challenges and risks by myself
I can't be right for somebody else if I'm not right for me
I cannot be true to someone else's expectations if it means sacrificing my own authenticity
Daring to try to do it or die, I've gotta be me
I am willing to take bold risks and put my all into pursuing my dreams, no matter how daunting the challenge may be
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Marks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind