Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Leba… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Lebanese-Canadian singer and songwriter.

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's a Sin
Paul Anka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I look back upon my life
It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin

It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin

At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin

Father, forgive me, I tried not to do it
Turned over a new leaf, then tore right through it
Whatever you taught me, I didn't believe it
Father, you fought me, 'cause I didn't care
And I still don't understand

So I look back upon my life
Forever with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common, too

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin

Overall Meaning

"It's a Sin" by Paul Anka is a song that reflects the reflective and remorseful tone of the lyrics. The song begins with the singer looking back on his past with shame and taking responsibility for his actions. He feels guilty for having committed sins, and he believes that everything he's done and everyone he's met has some connection to his faults. This admission of guilt is a powerful and poignant theme throughout the song, as the singer seeks forgiveness from his father for his actions, which he believes were in direct contradiction to the morals he was taught.

The song touches on themes such as sin, salvation, morality, and confession. In the first verse, the singer is expressing regret regarding his past actions and the effects they've had on his life, saying that he's always been the one to blame. The second verse is about how he was taught to be pure in thought and deed, but he was unable to live up to those standards. He feels as though he's let down his inspiration and is seeking forgiveness for his failure. The chorus repeats the phrase "It's a sin" to emphasize the gravity of his actions.

The song's sad tone is enhanced by Anka's soulful delivery as he elegantly explores the sense of shame and guilt that goes with personal failings. The song's honesty makes it reverberate with the listener, and it is a classic representation of emotional ballads.

Line by Line Meaning

When I look back upon my life
Reflecting on my past experiences

It's always with a sense of shame
Feeling regretful and guilty

I've always been the one to blame
Holding myself responsible for my actions

For everything I long to do
All my desires and aspirations

No matter when or where or who
Irrespective of the time, place or people involved

Has one thing in common, too
Has a common negative consequence

It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
Referring to the negative outcome of the actions

Everything I've ever done
Every action I've taken in my life

Every place I've ever been
All the locations I've visited

Everywhere I'm going to
All the places I intend to visit in the future

At school they taught me how to be
The education system imparted certain values and principles