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."
Love Me Warm and Tender
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love me warm like the glow of the morning sun
Love me warm and tender, dear
Love me so just as though I'm the o-o-o-onl-why-why one
Kiss me warm and tender, dear
Kiss me strong, kiss me long 'til the end of time
Kiss me warm and tender, dear
I'm in heaven in-a your embrace
See the glow of your angel face
Heaven sings, heaven rings, on your wings we will fly away
We will fly, you and I, to the sky where we'll always stay
Love me warm and tender, dear
Take my lips, take my arms, they belong to you
Love me warm and tender, dear
I'm a part of your heart for my whole life through
Love me warm and tender, dear
Love me warm like the glow of the morning sun
Love me warm and tender, dear
Love me so just as though I'm the o-o-o-onl-why-why one
The lyrics of Love Me Warm and Tender by Paul Anka reflect the singer's deep affection and desire to be loved and cherished by his partner. He implores his lover to love him tenderly and warmly like the morning sun's gentle glow, and to kiss him with strength and passion until the end of time. The singer finds bliss and joy in the loving embrace of his partner, a place he describes as heaven. They will fly away on the wings of his lover to a place where they will always stay and be together.
The song's central theme is love, and it highlights how we all desire to be loved tenderly and warmly by another person. Paul Anka's voice is soothing and reassuring, capturing the essence of deep love that we all long for. Additionally, the song's instrumentation with a gentle guitar and orchestral strings complements Anka's smooth vocals, providing an even more profound sense of tenderness and love to the listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Love me warm and tender, dear
Show me affection and care with a gentle touch and kind words, my beloved
Love me warm like the glow of the morning sun
Love me with the same warmth and brightness as the sun radiates in the early hours of the day
Love me so just as though I'm the o-o-o-onl-why-why one
Love me as if I'm your one and only, your everything, with all the intensity and devotion you can offer
Kiss me warm and tender, dear
Plant a warm and tender kiss on my lips, my love
Kiss me strong, kiss me long 'til the end of time
Kiss me with passion and perseverance for as long as forever lasts
Let me know, tell me so 'til the end of time
Assure me of your love and commitment until the end of time, my dear one
I'm in heaven in-a your embrace
I feel like I'm in paradise and all my worries disappear when I'm held in your arms
See the glow of your angel face
Your face radiates pure beauty and goodness, like that of an angel
Heaven sings, heaven rings, on your wings we will fly away
The joy and bliss we feel when we're together is so immense that it feels like the heavens themselves are singing and ringing with it, and we can soar away on your wings
We will fly, you and I, to the sky where we'll always stay
We will go to a place where nothing can come between us and our love, and we'll remain there forever
Take my lips, take my arms, they belong to you
My body and soul are yours to possess, my beloved
I'm a part of your heart for my whole life through
I'm forever intertwined with your heart and soul, and our love will endure the test of time
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lourena Little
I love his voice. This song is the best he's made.
Scott Burton
At age 82,Paul is still touring-He's an incredible singer.
David Walsh
Simply great music by one of the all-time greats of pop music
mkl62
This hit from Paul Anka went to #12 on the Top 40 charts. It went to #19 in the United Kingdom. It would finish at #76 for the year, 1962.
Anna-Liisa Luukkanen
I remember when I was 15 back in 1969 and I had been listening to this Paul's wonderful song until 2 a.m. over and over again and had to wake up early in the morning and go to middle school and there I was sleeping on my desk . But I was the best at English language in my classroom and always got 10 ( A ) and Paul Anka has been my best teacher to learn English.And I have been at his concerts four times. And I am still his fan and I am 65.
Panificadora Serrano
that's mean you still young : - )
Anna-Liisa Luukkanen
Thank you ! Paul 's wonderful songs keep us young and going strong and we will never grow old :)@Panificadora Serrano
Terry Fronterhouse
Love this song.
kimbozw
The italian version OGNI GIORNO reached No. 1 in Italy. 1962.
Frank Martinez
Never heard this , but I like it ! Such a handsome youngster.🙂