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."
Jubilation
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Total rejection to lies and deception and sinning
Sinners take key
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Nothing replaces a man
That embraces believing, no!
People take heart
To be honest
Join the reunion
There's one last communion upon us
Sinners take the key
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Nothing replaces a man
That embraces believing, no!\
I'm betting, I'm betting on Jesus
I'm hoping, hoping hell freezes
I'm hoping, hoping it just freezes
The devil, the devil
As for the children
God bless and God will
They'd know sorrow
Share the confusion
And life's disillusion tomorrow
Sinners take key
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Nothing replaces a man that embraces believing, no!
I'm betting, I'm betting on Jesus
I'm hoping, hoping hell freezes
I'm hoping, hoping it just freezes
The devil, the devil
Re-jubilation with some celebration beginning
Total rejection to lies and deception and sinning
Sinners take key
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Nothing replaces a man
That embraces believing, no!
The lyrics to Paul Anka’s song “Jubilation” express a call to reject lies, deception, and sin, instead embracing belief and celebrating life. The opening lines of “re-jubilation with some celebration beginning” set a happy tone, looking forward to a new and joyous start. However, the following line brings a darker note, acknowledging the negative influence of dishonesty and wrongdoing. The idea of “sinners take key” is a call to take responsibility for one’s actions and slowly move away from a life of sin - acknowledging the temptations that pull humanity down. The lyrics express that the life of sin is deceiving and ultimately empty - constantly leaving individuals feeling lost and unfulfilled. The idea of embracing believing is therefore an act of finding purpose and redemption.
As the song continues, Anka calls for people to be honest with themselves and each other, encouraging them to come together in a “reunion” - possibly a religious service - as they are embarking on their path to redemption. The line “I'm betting, I'm betting on Jesus/I'm hoping, hoping hell freezes” reaffirms the singer's devotion to Jesus and his hope for redemption. The final verse shifts toward a focus on children, who the singer hopes will be spared the pain and confusion of life, but they will inevitably face challenges and disillusionment in the future. Overall, the lyrics in "Jubilation" encourage listeners to turn their backs on the sin and dishonesty of the world, putting their faith in belief and celebrating life's triumphs.
Line by Line Meaning
Re-jubilation with some celebration beginning
Starting a joyful celebration and rejoicing once again with fellow people
Total rejection to lies and deception and sinning
Rejecting anything that's deceitful or immoral, and going against sin
Sinners take key
Anyone who has sinned must know the way to get back to living a righteous life
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Reminding people that leading an unrighteous life can lead to deception, so it's important to be mindful of one's actions
Nothing replaces a man
That embraces believing, no!
Having faith is irreplaceable and necessary, no other belief or lifestyle can replace that
People take heart
It's the time to be sport
To be honest
Join the reunion
There's one last communion upon us
Asking everyone to come together and be honest with themselves, and to join in the last communion that's approaching
I'm betting, I'm betting on Jesus
I'm hoping, hoping hell freezes
I'm hoping, hoping it just freezes
The devil, the devil
Trusts Jesus to guide him, and hopes that the wicked shall perish
As for the children
God bless and God will
They'd know sorrow
Share the confusion
And life's disillusion tomorrow
Praying that children will be blessed and guided by God, hoping that they do not suffer in the future
Sinners take key
For the life that you lead is deceiving, yeah!
Sinners must know the way to live righteously since leading an immoral life can be misleading
Nothing replaces a man that embraces believing, no!
Being a believer is irreplaceable and necessary, no other belief or lifestyle can replace that
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Johnny Harris, Paul Anka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
daddy
Hermosisima cancion,interpretacion,y musica genial,solo el Paul Anka.
Ana Rios Amezquita
Wowww
En aquellos tiempos me fascinaba esta cancion y nunca le puse atencion a la letra,.
Ahora q la vuelvo a escuchar, me deja boca abierta.
Que cancion!!!!!
Hermosa alabanza a mi Senor 🤗a nuestro Senor Jesus,.
jeb bush
Great song, you can just tell it is by a master songwriter.
francisco javier leon diaz
Una auténtica obra maestra del señor ANKA¡¡ Gran ingenio creativo, gracias por compartir..
rogelio trevino ledezma
De las mas queridas......solo oigan !!
Simone Bordelon
Praise Jesus
Marcela Aguilar
Maravillosa cancion!!
Lewis Haines
Perfect song with great words with an important meaning Paul listen to the music
Mike Mangan
Played this on its initial release Great Song.
Zilda aguilar
Lindo, lindo, lindo.