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."
Let Me Be the One
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you should find yourself alone
Let me be the one you run to
Let me be the one you come to
When you need someone to turn to
Let me be the one
To set things right
Let me be the one you run to
Let me be the one you come to
When you need someone to turn to
Let me be the one
For love and understanding
To find a quiet place
For silent understanding
A loving touch
Come to me
When things go wrong
And there's no love to light the way
Let me be the one you run to
Let me be the one you come to
When you need someone to turn to
Let me be the one
The lyrics of Paul Anka's song "Let Me Be the One" paint a picture of a person offering their support and love to someone who may be going through a difficult time. The lyrics express a desire to be the person that this individual turns to for comfort and understanding whenever they feel lost or alone. The singer offers to "set things right" and be a source of "love and understanding" that they can rely on.
The song's lyrics suggest that the singer may have gone through difficult times themselves and understand how it feels to be in that position. They offer a sense of quiet understanding and a loving touch to help the other person through their troubled times. The song is a heartfelt expression of empathy and the desire to offer solace to someone in need.
Overall, "Let Me Be the One" is a powerful ballad that expresses the ways in which we can be there for one another in times of need. It speaks to the universal human longing for connection and support, and how we can offer that to one another through love, understanding, and empathy.
Line by Line Meaning
Some sleepless night
During a night without sleep
If you should find yourself alone
In case you are alone
Let me be the one you run to
Allow me to be the person you go to when in search of help
Let me be the one you come to
Allow me to be the person you go to for comfort or help
When you need someone to turn to
When you need someone to help or talk to
Let me be the one
I am offering my assistance, so allow me to be the one you turn to
To set things right
To help you fix problems
When this old world's turned upside down
When everything seems to be going wrong
For love and understanding
I am offering my love and comprehension
To find a quiet place
So that you can find peace and tranquility
For silent understanding
I am offering my understanding without the need for words or explanation
A loving touch
I am offering my love and affection
Come to me
Allow me to help you
When things go wrong
When things don't go as planned
And there's no love to light the way
When there isn't anyone to help you through tough times
Let me be the one you run to
Allow me to be the person you go to for help
Let me be the one you come to
Allow me to be the person you go to for comfort or help
When you need someone to turn to
When you need someone to help or talk to
Let me be the one
I am offering my assistance, so allow me to be the one you turn to
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Roger Nichols, Paul Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joyce Yolanda Storch
Gee thats a really beautiful song. Paul has so much feeling when he sings, and this one makes you feel like he's telling this to the person who's listening to the song. We all need someone to turn to at times for various reasons. I love the way he does this song. Its very special.🎹🎤🎵🤓😀😁😎❤
Charride Gatti
I love everything that sings because I love it. You are a great singer, wonderful always.
veronica salazar
Preciosa cancion🇲🇽🎈🐥🐱👌👍😄🌛🐝🌼🌺😁😀🐾✨🐈🙏🌹🐦
DennyYou
Best version, in my biased opinion! ; )
MikeEgypte
Thanks for the upload friend. I can use this soft and warm song this morning.
Sunny Chan
You're welcome, Mike.
Beto Amezcua
Do you know who the guy next to Paul Anka is? Looks like Carlos Slim!
Chan Sunny
You are right, my friend. Thanks for viewing.
Raúl Leonel Esquivel Escobar
Este bonito tema del maestro Anka le han puesto una mala traduccion
Raúl Leonel Esquivel Escobar
Bueno me referia a la traduccion en letras en español que sale en el video de ese tema no concuerda
A eso me referia. Gracias