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."
Jambalaya
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
The song "Jambalaya" by Paul Anka is a bouncy, playful tune about a man saying farewell to his friend Joe and embarking on a journey down the bayou to see his love Yvonne. The lyrics are filled with references to Cajun culture, including the mention of jambalaya, a traditional dish made with rice, meat, and vegetables, as well as crawfish pie and filé gumbo. The singer plans on having a good time with Yvonne, picking his guitar, filling up a fruit jar, and enjoying the company of his friends and family.
The first verse sets the tone of the song, with the singer bidding farewell to Joe and expressing his excitement to embark on a journey down the bayou. The second verse focuses on the festive occasion that awaits him in the form of food, music, and dancing with Yvonne. The third verse adds more color to the picture, with the singer describing the bustling town of Thibodaux and the arrival of kinfolk to join in the festivities. Finally, the last verse speaks of settling down with Yvonne and catching fish in the bayou to provide for her, cementing the idea of a happy life shared with loved ones.
Overall, "Jambalaya" is a cheerful, upbeat song that celebrates the simple joys of life and the pleasures of being surrounded by good company, delicious food, and music.
Line by Line Meaning
Good-bye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Farewell, Joe, I must leave now
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
I need to navigate my boat named pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
My Yvonne, the loveliest of them all
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
We'll have an amazing time on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
We'll feast on jambalaya, crawfish pie, and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Because tonight I will meet my sweetheart
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Strum the guitar, fill the fruit jar, and enjoy the night
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin'
Thibodaux and Fontaineaux are lively and busy
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dozens of relatives come to visit Yvonne
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh
Dress up and have the time of your life
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
I'll live far from the city and get myself a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
I'll catch all the fish in the bayou myself
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
I'll exchange my money to buy Yvonne's necessities
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
We'll have an amazing time on the bayou
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@addiesullivan4259
Good-bye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
@veronicasalazar9252
Hermoso Paul anka!! 😀😀😀🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@CarlosFernandez-ok4ml
Maravillosa canción! Para escuchar y para bailar...
@oscarmejiasalazar1703
Very happy song to dance at any age, played by the great Canadian singer PAUL ANKA.
@rosellacestarioli921
Bravo adorabile
@mirtatroncoso3744
👍👍👍👍👍👍😘😘🌹🌹🌹🌹
@luzmariaespinosa7920
👍👍👍
@addiesullivan4259
Good-bye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw-fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
@rosellacestarioli921
Se mi ricordo giusto questa canzone era di Paul Anka
@pierluigipagani7632
Sono d'accordo con Veronica Salazar.bellissima.
@ilariacroce9322
Mina