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 Love Paris
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is all that I can say
I love you, I love you
The same old worlds I'm saying in the same old way
I love you, I love you
Three words that are divine
And now, my dear, I'm waitin' to hear
Little girl, I love you
Can't you see I love you
I love you, can't you see I love you
I love you, I love you
Three words that are divine
And now, my dear, I'm waitin' to hear
The words that make you mine
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song "I Love Paris" express a simple and pure declaration of love. The repetition of the phrase "I love you" emphasizes the strong and unwavering feelings the singer has for someone. The phrase is repeated multiple times, suggesting that the depth of love cannot be fully expressed through words alone.
The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and anticipation for the other person to reciprocate the love. The repetition of the phrase "I love you, I love you" is not just a repetition of the same old words, but rather a reaffirmation of the singer's commitment and devotion. The lyrics also express a desire for the other person to acknowledge and understand the intensity of the love being expressed.
The final verse introduces the term "little girl" as a term of endearment, further highlighting the affection and tenderness in the singer's emotions. The lyrics create a sense of vulnerability, as the singer waits for the other person to respond with the words that will solidify their connection and relationship.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Love Paris" encapsulate the simplicity and power of love, urging the listener to appreciate and cherish the profound emotions that love can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you, I love you
My affection for you is so strong that I cannot express it in any other way
Is all that I can say
My love for you is so overwhelming that it leaves me speechless
The same old words I'm saying in the same old way
Although I may use the same words repeatedly, know that my love for you never wavers
Three words that are divine
These three simple words carry a profound and heavenly meaning
And now, my dear, I'm waitin' to hear
I am eagerly anticipating and longing to hear
The words that will make you mine
Words that will solidify our love and commitment, bringing us together forever
Little girl, I love you
My adoration for you is like that of a young girl, innocent and pure
Can't you see I love you
Is it not evident to you that my heart is filled with love for you?
I love you, can't you see I love you
Once again, I want to emphasize that I am deeply in love with you, and I hope you can perceive it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L.
Written by: HARLAN THOMPSON, HARRY ARCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
felixbautista
I had marked this as one of my all-time favorite oldies. Thank you !!!
LUCKY DUCKIES
Nice version. Paul Anka's a real artist!
JOSE LUIS Fernandez
This is one of the most beautiful song ever written by Cole Porter. Almost as beautiful as Paris itsefl
wad44
affortunatus, indeed he is the best, but I have to say that you are too a great artist according to your videos, it was a pleasure for me to watch them
Zev Feldman
BEAUTIFUL COVER
felixbautista
Thanks you ever so much for granting my request. I've waited for this to come out and get posted and now it's here. More power and success to you.
Ákos Biás
Great Song!
Tibor Mészáros
He was great with his own songs...
wad44
You can listen now Paul's Melodie D'amour . Enjoy!
wad44
@biasakos valóban nagyon szép dal, bárki is adja elő, de ez talán egyike a legjobb változatoknak. Örülök hogy tetszett. Indeed a great song, no matter who is singing it, but this one is perhaps one of the best. I'm glad that you like it.