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."
It
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you know you're lonely, you're not the one and only
Who will cry?
When your heart is broken, that's the time to cry
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
Loneliness is why I cry
For you have made my heart a slave
And now it's up to you
When somebody leaves you, that's the time to cry
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song "It" speak to the all-consuming pain of heartbreak. The first verse emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and the universality of heartbreak. Anka sings, "When somebody leaves you, that's the time to cry, when you know you're lonely, you're not the one and only." The second verse speaks directly to the person who has been left, saying "When your heart is broken, that's the time to cry, when you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you." The chorus repeats the sentiment, encouraging the listener to allow themselves to feel the grief and sadness of heartbreak.
The bridge of the song shifts slightly, speaking to the conflicting feelings of wanting happiness and feeling trapped in sadness. The lines "Happiness is what I long for, loneliness is why I cry, for you have made my heart a slave, and now it's up to you" suggest that the person who has left holds the key to the singer's happiness, even though they have caused them great pain.
Overall, the lyrics to "It" are deeply emotional and speak to the universal experience of heartbreak. Anka's voice captures the pain of heartbreak while also offering a sense of catharsis in embracing the sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
When somebody leaves you, that's the time to cry
It's okay to cry when someone you care about leaves you.
When you know you're lonely, you're not the one and only
Feeling lonely is common and it's not just you who feels that way.
Who will cry?
Other people may also cry when they experience heartbreak and loneliness.
When your heart is broken, that's the time to cry
It's natural to cry when your heart is broken.
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
When someone you love leaves you, you know it has happened.
Happiness is what I long for
I desire to be happy.
Loneliness is why I cry
I cry because I feel lonely.
For you have made my heart a slave
My feelings for you are so strong that they control me.
And now it's up to you
It's up to you to decide if you want to be with me or not.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Zeynep MJJackson
MICHAEL JACKSON KING OF MUSIC 1958-FOREVER
Diana Speechless
MICHAEL 👑 JACKSON
Boss Shrek
king of pop
Mayka
Who does not love Michael Jackson? Thanks Paul for your good performance.
lly g
Can you imagine how huge his comeback would’ve been...
Ta Pelé
It would have been the best concert of the 21st century...
Though, for sure, now it's Michael's 30th anniversary anyway...
#LegendsNeverDie
Peter Raymond
So much has been said about Michael Jackson. I'm sure he's one of the most oft-discussed people who's ever lived. And besides his enormous talent I feel the most amazing thing about him was his humility. He may have been the megastar yet he stood in awe of his heroes.
Sheila Kissick
I never knew Michael had wrote this that long ago! wow!
Alexis Seguela
Yeah in 80 s