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."
My Heart Sings
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I remember little things
The way you dance and hold me tight
The way you kiss and say goodnight
The crazy things we say and do
The fun it is to be with you
The magic thrill that’s in your touch
O darling, I love you so much
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all these little things
All of a sudden my heart sings
All of a sudden my heart sings
When I remember little things
The way you dance and hold me tight
The way you kiss and say goodnight
The crazy things we say and do
The fun it is to be with you
The magic thrill that’s in your touch
O darling, I love you so much
The secret way you press my hand
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all these little things
All of a sudden my heart sings
In "My Heart Sings," Paul Anka sings about the little moments and details of a romantic relationship that cause his heart to sing. From the way his lover dances and holds him tight to the secret ways they communicate and the magic in their touch, Anka cherishes each and every tiny aspect of their bond. He remembers everything from the wind and rain upon his lover's face to their little laughs and half-surprises. As he reflects on these moments, he suddenly feels his heart sing with love and adoration for his significant other.
Line by Line Meaning
All of a sudden my heart sings
I feel a sudden surge of happiness and joy in my heart
When I remember little things
These feelings are triggered when I recall small, yet meaningful memories
The way you dance and hold me tight
I am reminded of the comfort and joy I feel when we are close physically
The way you kiss and say goodnight
I recall the sweet and loving way you end our evenings together
The crazy things we say and do
I reminisce about the silly and playful moments we share
The fun it is to be with you
I remember the enjoyment I get out of simply spending time with you
The magic thrill that’s in your touch
I am reminded of the passion and excitement that comes from being physically intimate with you
O darling, I love you so much
In these moments, I feel overwhelmed with love and affection for you
The secret way you press my hand
I am reminded of the subtle ways you communicate your understanding and support to me
To let me know you understand
These gestures show me that you empathize with and comprehend my feelings
The wind and rain upon your face
I recall the moments we have felt the natural elements around us
The breathless world of your embrace
I think back on the overwhelming and all-encompassing feeling of being held by you
Your little laugh and half-surprise
I remember the small moments of delight we share, often unexpectedly
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
I recall the beauty and wonder I see in your gaze
Remembering all these little things
All of these memories come back to me, flooding my mind and heart
All of a sudden my heart sings
And in this moment, my love and happiness for you overflow and fill me completely
Lyrics © RAOUL BRETON EDITIONS, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Henri HERPIN, Jean BLANVILLAIN, Rome HAROLD J
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mihail217
The secret way you hold my hand
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all those little things
All of a sudden my heart sings
All of a sudden my heart sings
When I remember little things
The way you dance and hold me tight
The way you kiss and say "Good night"
The crazy things we'd say and do
The fun it is to be with you
The magic thrill that's in your touch
Oh, darling, I love you so much!
The secret way you hold my hand
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all those things
All of a sudden my heart sings
@irenemccann7032
This is my favourite Paul Anka song, the melody and lyrics are magnificent.
@onlybosslion9267
His talent and songs are timeless. A sweetheart then and still! Priceless ♥️
As plain as day!
@cleostewart7740
=
@Celluloidwatcher
What a lovely song this is. From late '58. Still the teen idol without the rebel streak of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and some other early rockers. Thanks for the upload.
@angelaricard6103
Wonderful song! Paul Anka so young and already sang beautifully.
@jmrodas9
I used to hear this song in 1960 when I was fourteen. I liked the depth and feeling with which it is sung. Paul Anka is one of those singers one can identify with. The song is simple but meaningful. Very nice to hear so many years later.
@rosechris48
When I hear this song and others like it I want to cry and go back to those fabulous days,
@ismailwan8413
Fantastic song, music composition, back up singers. Simply beautiful.
@user-dr3ih7ov4l
I can listen to this song a million times.
Brings back the youth we once had♥️
@mihail217
The secret way you hold my hand
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all those little things
All of a sudden my heart sings
All of a sudden my heart sings
When I remember little things
The way you dance and hold me tight
The way you kiss and say "Good night"
The crazy things we'd say and do
The fun it is to be with you
The magic thrill that's in your touch
Oh, darling, I love you so much!
The secret way you hold my hand
To let me know you understand
The wind and rain upon your face
The breathless world of your embrace
Your little laugh and half-surprise
The starlight gleaming in your eyes
Remembering all those things
All of a sudden my heart sings