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 Doesn't Matter Anymore
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry
Golly gee what have you done to me
Well I guess it doesn't matter anymore
Do you remember baby last September
How you held me tight each and every night
Oh baby how you drove me crazyBut I guess it doesn't matter anymore
There's no use in me a-crying
I've done everything now I'm sick of trying
I've thrown away my nights
Wasted all my days over you
Now you go your way baby and I'll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
I'll find somebody new and baby
We'll say we're through
And you won't matter anymore
There's no use in me a-crying
I've done everything now I'm sick of trying
I've thrown away my nights
Wasted all my days over you
Now you go your way baby and I'll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
And I'll find somebody new and baby
We'll say we're through
And you won't matter anymore
No you won't matter anymore
You won't matter anymore
The song "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" by Paul Anka is a story about a man who has been left by his lover, and he is trying to convince himself that he is okay with it, even though it is clear that he is not. He starts by telling his ex-lover that he is still there even though she left him to "sit and cry." He then reminisces about their past when she used to hold him tight every night in September, and how she drove him crazy. Despite all of this, he is trying to convince himself that it doesn't matter anymore because he has done everything for her and now he is sick of trying. He has wasted all his days and thrown away his nights over her. However, he realizes that he needs to move on, and find someone else that will make him happy. He promises that once he finds someone new, they will both say that they are through, and she won't matter anymore.
The meaning behind the lyrics of "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is quite simple. It is a song about moving on and letting go after a relationship has ended. The lyrics describe the emotional toll that a break-up can have on a person, but they also convey the importance of moving on and finding happiness again. The song's message is relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, as it reminds them that they are not alone and that there is always hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
There you go and baby here am I
You left me alone and now I'm here
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry
I'm wallowing in pain because you abandoned me
Golly gee what have you done to me
You hurt me badly and I'm stunned by it
Well I guess it doesn't matter anymore
But now I'm moving on from the pain you caused
Do you remember baby last September
Do you recall the times we shared in September?
How you held me tight each and every night
You used to comfort me every night
Oh baby how you drove me crazy
You had a mesmerizing effect on me
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore
However, those memories don't affect me anymore
There's no use in me a-crying
I no longer see any point in crying
I've done everything now I'm sick of trying
I've put in my efforts, but I'm tired with no results
I've thrown away my nights
I've wasted my nights overthinking you
Wasted all my days over you
And even my days trying to be with you
Now you go your way baby and I'll go mine
From now on, we'll be heading our own separate ways
Now and forever till the end of time
This separation is forever until the end of time
I'll find somebody new and baby
I'm sure to find someone new, and
We'll say we're through
We'll know for sure that our relationship is over
And you won't matter anymore
Finally, you'll hold no importance in my life
No you won't matter anymore
You won't hold any significance anymore
You won't matter anymore
You're insignificant in my life now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Anka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mihail217
There you go and baby here am I
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry
Well, golly gee what have you done to me
Well I guess it doesn't matter anymore
Do you remember baby, last September
How you held me tight, each and every night
Well oops-a-daisy, how you drove me crazy
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore
There's no use in me a-cryin'
I've done everything and now I'm sick of trying
I've thrown away my nights and wasted all my days over you
Well you go your way and I'll go mine
Now and forever 'till the end of time
I'll find somebody new and baby
We'll say we're through and you won't matter anymore
There's no use in me a-cryin'
I've done…
@edwardclark4787
Paul was only around 17 when he wrote this classic for Buddy Holly. He has admitted Holly's version surprised him but at the same time delighted him. Paul Anka is such a talent and modest with it. His first hit 'Diana' was no.1 in the UK when he was only 16 years old!
@shoknifeman2mikado135
Actually he didn't write it FOR Buddy, he played his demo for Buddy who asked if he could have the song.
@DisturbedYoyo
I didn't even know Buddy Holly did a version of this 😅 I've only ever heard Paul sing it!
@FlipDahlenburg
@@DisturbedYoyo Yikes!!! Go listen to it!! This version is a bit disturbing!
@DisturbedYoyo
@@FlipDahlenburg I listened to it. I kinda miss the deep parts in between (which is probably what you're referring to not liking), but it's a good version... wouldn't expect any less from Mr Buddy Holly.
@andrzejdominik
Paul Anka is perfect. May daddy has loved his songs. So do I
@rachelsaganmaraj2928
2024 these are the versions I grew up with my grandmother aunts and mother records still love them❤
@angelaricard6103
Beautiful music, Paul Anka...what a wonderful voice!
@joyceyolandastorch8964
Thats a nice song. It was so caring of Paul to give his royalties on this song , to the widow and family of Buddy Holly. Its quite obvious that Paul has a good heart. God Bless him for that. I will have to try to listen to Buddy Holly's version of this song.
@lauramilagros5472
6/14/20 ... Thanks for posting the original version by the author .... so that future generations never forget.