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."
Jump
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around
And I know, baby, just how you feel
You got to roll with the punches to get what's real
Oh, can't you see me standin' here?
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seenCan't you see what I mean?
Might as well jump (jump)
Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead, jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump (jump)
(Hey, you)
Hey baby, how you been?
You say you don't know, you don't know until you begin
Can't you see me standing here?
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Can't you see what I mean?
Might as well jump (jump)
Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead, jump (jump)
Go ahead and just jump (jump)
Knock yourself out
Can't you see me standin' here?
I got my back against the record machine
I ain't the worst that you've seen
Can't you see what I mean?
Might as well jump (jump)
Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead, jump (jump)
Go ahead and jump, baby (jump)
Come on jump (jump)
Might as well jump (jump)
Go ahead knock yourself out (jump)
Go ahead and jump (jump)
Come on and jump (jump)
Jump
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song "Jump" are about perseverance and taking risks in life. The opening lines of the song set the tone for this message, with Anka expressing his own ability to get up and keep going in the face of adversity. He then acknowledges that others have it tough as well, but encourages them to roll with the punches and keep pushing forward in order to achieve what is truly important in life.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "Might as well jump" several times, is a call to action for listeners. Anka is urging them to take risks and go after what they want, even if it means risking failure or embarrassment. He acknowledges that there is some uncertainty involved in taking these kinds of leaps, but ultimately believes that it is better to try and fail than to never try at all.
In the later verses, Anka addresses a specific individual and encourages them to take that leap of faith as well. He suggests that the person in question may be hesitant or unsure about what to do next, but reassures them that they won't truly know what they are capable of until they begin. The chorus repeats again, with Anka driving home the message that sometimes the only way to move forward is to take that big leap and see where it leads.
Overall, the song is a an uplifting message about the importance of perseverance and taking risks in order to achieve one's goals. It encourages listeners to be bold and daring in their pursuit of success, and to not let fear hold them back from reaching their full potential.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up, and nothin' ever gets me down
I face challenges head-on and never let them bring me down.
You got it tough, I've seen the toughest around
I understand that you are facing difficult situations, but believe me, I've seen worse and come out ahead.
And I know, baby, just how you feel
I empathize with what you're going through because I've been there before.
You got to roll with the punches to get what's real
Life is full of unexpected challenges, but you need to persevere through them in order to achieve real success.
Oh, can't you see me standin' here?
Take a look at me standing here, feeling confident and unafraid.
I got my back against the record machine
I'm standing up against anything that tries to knock me down, just like standing against a record machine.
I ain't the worst that you've seen
I may not be perfect, but I'm far from the worst you've come across.
Can't you see what I mean?
Can you understand what I'm saying and see my perspective?
Might as well jump (jump)
Why not take the big leap and go for it?
Go ahead, jump (jump)
Don't be afraid, take the risk and jump for your goals.
Hey baby, how you been?
How have you been lately?
You say you don't know, you don't know until you begin
You won't truly understand until you start trying and doing it.
Go ahead and just jump (jump)
Don't overthink it, just go for it.
Knock yourself out
Give it your all and don't hold back.
Come on and jump (jump)
I'm encouraging and urging you to take that leap of faith.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alex Van Halen, Edward Van Halen, David Roth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind