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 Hometown
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I only stopped to look around
And as I walked along the thorough-fare
There was music playing ev'rywhere
The music came from within my heart
How did it happen how did it start
I only know that I fell in love
I guess the answer lies up above
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a bird up in the tree
He sings a pretty little melody
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a bird up in the tree
He sings a pretty little melody
Ya-ya-ya-ya...
In this song, Paul Anka reminisces about returning to his hometown and feeling a deep connection to the music and atmosphere there. As he walks through the streets, he hears music playing "everywhere" and begins to feel a sense of love and joy deep within his heart. He can't explain how this feeling came to be, but he knows that it has something to do with his roots and the memories they hold. The music inspires him to keep going and to continue enjoying life's simple pleasures, like the sound of a bird singing in a tree.
Overall, this song is a celebration of homecoming and the power of music to evoke strong emotions and memories. Anka's lyrics capture the universal experience of returning to a place of meaning and finding comfort in the familiar sounds and sights. The repetition of the chorus ("Oh what a feeling...") reinforces the idea that this experience is something special and almost indescribable.
Line by Line Meaning
I took a little trip to my home town
I visited the place where I was born and raised
I only stopped to look around
I paused to take in the sights and sounds of my surroundings
And as I walked along the thorough-fare
As I strolled along the main street of my hometown
There was music playing ev'rywhere
I could hear music being played in all corners of the town
The music came from within my heart
The music I heard stirred my emotions and came from my soul
How did it happen how did it start
I wondered how this love for my hometown began in me
I only know that I fell in love
All I'm certain of is that I suddenly fell in love with my hometown
I guess the answer lies up above
Maybe the reason for my sudden love is beyond my understanding
Oh what a feeling
It was an amazing feeling indeed
My heart was reeling
My heart was overwhelmed with emotion
The bells were ringing
The church bells were chiming cheerfully
The birds were singing
The birds were chirping beautiful tunes
And so the music keep goes on and on
The music and beauty of my hometown continued endlessly
And through the night until the break of dawn
Even all night long until the dawn of a new day
I hear a bird up in the tree
I listened to a bird singing in a nearby tree
He sings a pretty little melody
The bird sang a beautiful and enchanting song
Ya-ya-ya-ya...
The song ended with a vocalization of pure joy and contentment.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@addicted2lipgloss872
I took a little trip to my home town
I only stopped to just look around
And as I walked along the thorough-fare
There was music playing everywhere
The music came from within my heart
How did it happen how did it start
I only know that I fell in love
I guess the answer lies up above
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a birdie up in the tree
I hear him sings this melody
And so he sings
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
And every evening when the sun goes down
I'm with my love in my home town
And so I sing
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ho-ho-ho-ho
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
@paolamariefuchsstitelmann7458
I took a little trip - to my home town
I only stopped just to look around
And as I walked along the thorough-fare
There was music playing ev'rywhere
The music came from within my heart
How did it happen how did it start -
I only know that I fell in love
I guess the answer lies up above -
Oh what a feeling .....
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing .....
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a bird up in the tree -
He sings a pretty little melody
Oh what a feeling .....
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing ....
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a bird up in the tree -
He sings a pretty little melody
ya-ya-ya-ya......
@CharrideGatti
Nossa como amo essa mรบsica..era pequenina e ficava a ouvir pelo rรกdio. Que bom ver agora รฉ ouvir. Ele era lindo demais. E agora aos 80 anos continua lindo e carismรกtico. Amo demais!
@addicted2lipgloss872
I took a little trip to my home town
I only stopped to just look around
And as I walked along the thorough-fare
There was music playing everywhere
The music came from within my heart
How did it happen how did it start
I only know that I fell in love
I guess the answer lies up above
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
I hear a birdie up in the tree
I hear him sings this melody
And so he sings
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Oh what a feeling
My heart was reeling
The bells were ringing
The birds were singing
And so the music keep goes on and on
And through the night until the break of dawn
And every evening when the sun goes down
I'm with my love in my home town
And so I sing
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ho-ho-ho-ho
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya
@pegfosnaugh7271
Just heard this on the radio and oh my gosh, I had forgotten about this song and how much I used to love it! What a treasure full of memories it brings from my youth๐
@pablovasquezloayza
Hermosa canciรณn que acompaรฑรณ mi niรฑez en los 60ยดs.
@MichaelDaily1
I love the coasters.I bought this record in May of 1959 and I still play it today. [MK Michael]
@CharrideGatti
Aรญ amo essa mรบsica. Eu tinha sete anos e ficava imaginando como seria o cantor..mal sabia eu que era lindo demais!
@lauraferreirademattosdossa6030
Essa me lembra quando ele veio ao BR e ele cantou essa musica n TV
Eu m apaixonei , eu tinha 12 ou 13 anos. E inesquecivel. I love paul anka. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
@Benjamin-fp5er
Simplesmente lindo , esta canรงรฃo รฉ mto linda
O Paul Anka ,era tรฃo novinho era um rapazinho mto lindinho ,atรฉ a voz era diferente .
O Paul atรฉ hoje รฉ lindo charmoso ,gentil ,meigo doce ,te um lindo e fรกcil sorriso รฉ uma pessoa cheia impatia pelas pessoas .
O Paul Anka รฉ um ser humano maravilhoso cheio de mtas qualidade e mtas virtudes .
Atรฉ hj j o Paul รฉ um amorzinho de pessoa .
Ivani ,Sรฃo Paulo., Brasil /27 / 10 / 23 / 01 : 57 .
๐๐๐๐โคโคโคโคโคโคโคโคโคโคโคโคโค
@carolinaafonso7190
Delicada, sublime. Parabรฉns
@javiermontenegrojoo5062
Great composer and singer Paul Anka!!! I used to hear him on the radio when I was a little kid and did not even understand English.