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."
Ordinary World
Paul Anka Lyrics
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On the avenue
Thought I heard you talking softly
I turned on the lights, the TV
And the radio
Still I can't escape the ghost of you
What has happened to it all?
Where is the life that I recognize?
Gone away
But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive
Passion or coincidence
Once prompted you to say
Pride will tear us both apart
Well now pride's gone out the window
Cross the rooftops, runaway
Left me in the vacuum of my heart
What is happening to me?
Crazy some say
Where is my friend when I need you most?
Gone away
But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive
Papers in the roadside
Tell of suffering and greed
Feared today forgot tomorrow
Ooh, here beside the news
Of holy war and holy need
Ours is just a little sorrowed talk
(Blown away)
(Just blowing away)
And I don't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive
Any world is my world
(I will learn to survive)
Every world is my world
(I will learn to survive)
The song "Ordinary World" by Paul Anka is a melancholic piece with a deep emotional undertone. The singer comes home on a rainy Thursday, trying to avoid the thoughts of someone whom they have lost. As the TV and radio complete the background, the singer realizes that the ghosts of the missing person have not left them. They ponder over the complexities of life and wonder where is the world that they used to recognize. They resolve to move forward, in search of an ordinary world. The singer acknowledges the harshness of passion and coincidence that led to the split. They have realized that pride is the culprit in their story, and it tore them apart. Now, left alone to face the vacuum in their heart, the singer tries to move on. The suffering and greed in the world and the news of holy war and holy need only add to their sorrow. But they are determined to find their ordinary world and get through life.
Line by Line Meaning
Came in from a rainy Thursday
I returned home on a grey day.
On the avenue
On the street where I live.
Thought I heard you talking softly
I thought I heard you say something quietly.
I turned on the lights, the TV
And the radio
I tried to distract myself by turning on various devices.
Still I can't escape the ghost of you
Your memory is still with me.
What has happened to it all?
What has happened to the way things used to be?
Crazy some say
Some might call me crazy for thinking this way.
Where is the life that I recognize?
Where has the world I knew gone?
Gone away
It has disappeared.
But I won't cry for yesterday
I won't dwell on the past.
There's an ordinary world
There is a normal life to be had.
Somehow I have to find
I need to search for it.
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
As I attempt to return to a regular life.
I will learn to survive
I will figure out how to keep going.
Passion or coincidence
Once prompted you to say
Maybe it was our intense feelings, or simply fate, that led us here.
Pride will tear us both apart
Our ego will destroy our relationship.
Well now pride's gone out the window
We've let go of our pride.
Cross the rooftops, runaway
We've escaped through the rooftops.
Left me in the vacuum of my heart
You've left me feeling empty inside.
What is happening to me?
What's going on with my life?
Where is my friend when I need you most?
Where are you when I need your support?
Papers in the roadside
Tell of suffering and greed
Newspapers on the ground describe the world's pain and desire for more.
Feared today forgot tomorrow
We're scared of today, with no thought for the future.
Ooh, here beside the news
Of holy war and holy need
Next to headlines about religious conflict and necessity.
Ours is just a little sorrowed talk
All we have is a sad conversation.
(Blown away)
(Drifting in the wind)
(Just blowing away)
(All just fleeting away)
Any world is my world
(I will learn to survive)
I can get through life in any world.
Every world is my world
(I will learn to survive)
No matter where life takes me, I'll endure it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Warren Cuccurullo, Nigel John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Simon John Charles Le-Bon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind