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 Miss You So
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I spent with you
That lovely afterglow
Most of all
I miss you so
Your sweet caresses, each rendezvous
Your voice so soft and low
You once filled my heart with no regrets, no fears
Now you find my heart filled to the top with tears
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all I miss you so
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all
I miss you so
(Ah, ah, ah, ah!!)
The song "I Miss You So" by Paul Anka is a melancholic ballad that expresses the sadness and longing of a broken heart. The lyrics describe the former happy memories of the singer with his loved one, and how much he misses those special moments they shared together. The verses highlight the memories of "happy hours" and "lovely afterglows" that they experienced together in the past. The chorus repeats the title of the song "Most of all, I miss you so" which embodies the central theme of the song - the missing of one's lover.
The second stanza focuses on the physical and emotional aspects of their relationship. The singer reflects on the fond memories of their intimacy, such as the "sweet caresses" and soft whispers of his partner. The following lines demonstrate a stark contrast between the present and the past. The singer acknowledges that his heart was once full of love and devoid of fear but is now "filled to the top with tears."
The final verse repeats the same message of the chorus, emphasizing the depth of the singer's feelings towards his lost love. The final line is left open-ended, expressing that the singer's love and yearning for his loved one will never be quenched.
Overall, "I Miss You So" is a classic example of a slow, emotional ballad that deals with the sadness and pain of lost love. The song's nostalgic and heartfelt lyrics, paired with Anka's passionate voice and delivery, make it a timeless and enduring classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Those happy hours
The enjoyable moments when we were together
I spent with you
The time I shared with you
That lovely afterglow
The beautiful feeling that lingered after we parted
Most of all
Above all other things
I miss you so
I long for you greatly
Your sweet caresses, each rendezvous
Your tender touches and every meeting we had
Your voice so soft and low
The sound of your gentle and low-pitched voice
You once filled my heart with no regrets, no fears
You used to make me feel happy and unafraid
Now you find my heart filled to the top with tears
But now my heart is full of sadness to the point of overflowing
I'll always love you and want you, too
I will forever have feelings for you and desire your presence
How much you'll never know
You can never conceive how deeply I feel this way
Most of all I miss you so
Above all things, what I miss the most is you
I'll always love you and want you, too
I will always have deep feelings for you and desire you
How much you'll never know
You can never comprehend how much I feel for you
Most of all
Above all other things
I miss you so
I have a strong longing for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bertha Scott, Jimmy Henderson, Sydney Robin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pjf654
1959....."I Miss You So"
Those happy hours I spent with you
That lovely afterglow
Most of all I miss you so
Your sweet caresses, each rendezvous
Your voice so soft and low
Most of all I miss you so
You once filled my heart
With no regrets, no fears
Now you find my heart
Filled to the top with tears
(I'll always love you )and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all I miss you so
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all I miss you so
(Ah, ah, ah, ah) .....1959
@jpmorenov.5404
Aquellas horas felices que pasé contigo
ese hermoso resplandor,
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho .
Tus dulces caricias, cada cita,
tu voz tan suave y baja.,
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho .
Una vez llenaste mi corazón
sin arrepentirte, sin miedos.
ahora encuentras mi corazón
lleno hasta la cima de lágrimas
(Siempre te amaré) y también te querré.
nunca sabrás cuanto,
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho
Siempre te amaré y también te querré.
nunca sabrás cuanto,
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho
@felixresendez3484
Those happy hours I spent with you
That lovely afterglow
Most of all I miss you so
Your sweet caresses, each rendezvous
Your voice so soft and low
Most of all I miss you so-o-o
You once filled my heart with no regrets, no fears
Now you find my heart filled to the top with tears
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all I miss you so-o-o
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much you'll never know
Most of all I miss you so-o-o
@jpmorenov.5404
Esas felices horas que pasé contigo
ese hermoso resplandor,
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho
Tus dulces caricias, cada cita,
tu voz tan suave y baja,
pero, sobretodo te extraño mucho.
Una vez llenaste mi corazón
sin arrepentimientos, sin miedos,
ahora encuentras mi corazón
lleno totalmente de lágrimas
(Siempre te amaré) y también te querré.
cuanto?....nunca sabrás
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho .
Siempre te amaré y también te desearé.
cuanto?... nunca sabrás
pero sobretodo te extraño mucho.
@mihail217
I Miss You So
Paul Anka
Those happy hours
I spent with you
That lovely afterglow
Most of all
I miss you so
Your sweet caresses, each rendezvous
Your voice so soft and low
Most of all I miss you so
You once filled my heart with no regrets, no fears
Now you find my heart filled to the top with tears
I'll always love you and want you, too
How much
@evanleyson131
When Paul Anka sings,
you can feel the emotions,
the depth and the meaning
of the songs..
@Benjamin-fp5er
Que canção linda ,o Paul tem uma voz mto linda ,esta canção e tão suave ,tão doce , romatica , e mto apaixonante igual ao Paul Anka .
Ivani ,São Paulo ,Brasil . / 22 / 10 / 23 / 18 : 16 .
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@angelaricard6103
Love this song! Unforgettable Paul Anka.
@stephenbynum4793
This song gives me goosebumps
@ozziebenson48
You have some truly amazing songs on your channel, that I only came accross today by chance while looking at something else. As an older person I adore the sentimental ballads of years gone by, in the days when the words to song had meaning. Thank you so much for taking the time to post these for all to enjoy, its truly a credit to you, and am looking forward to listening to many more, keep up the good work. Kind regards, Ken.
@fernandajuca2629
Wonderful Paul Anka!!
@joyceyolandastorch8964
This is one of Pauls " oldie goldie" kind of songs. I think he did this song so beautifully . Love the sheet music with his photo and autograph on it.
@michaelcoluccio590
Unquestionably, my favorite Paul Anka song. Once I heard it on my car radio, I had to go out and buy it.
@Benjamin-fp5er
Simplesmente lindo e maravilhoso o Paul Anka .
Esta canção é mto linda ,na voz do Paul Anka qualquer música fica linda .
Até hj o Paul continua lindo ,gentil ,meigo ,doce ,charmoso atraente , sex e cheio de impatia com as pessoas .
Ivani ,São Paulo ,Brasil . / 22 / 10 / 23 / 18 :11.
😍😍😍❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@claudiabelarmino2733
Música muito boa para dançar bem juntinhos ♥️♥️♥️💯👍🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🦋