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."
Pennies From Heaven
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune falling all over the town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and sunflowers
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you've got to have showers
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Don't you know that each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
You'll find your fortune's falling all over the town
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Trade them for a package of sunshine and flowers
If you want the things you love, you gotta have showers
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me
Pennies from heaven for you and me, for you and for me
The lyrics to Paul Anka’s song Pennies From Heaven tells the story of how every time it rains, it is believed that there are pennies falling from the sky that contain good fortune. The song goes on to explain that one should always make sure their umbrella is upside down when it rains so they can catch their fortune. Also, when it thunders, one should not hide under a tree because there will be pennies from heaven for everyone. The song also reveals that if you want the things you love, you must have showers. This line encourages one to work hard through hard times because the end result will be worth it. Furthermore, by trading the pennies for sunshine and flowers, one is motivated to spend their good fortune on things that bring joy and happiness into their life.
Overall, the lyrics to Pennies From Heaven provide a sense of hope and optimism. They encourage one to see the positive side of life, even when it is raining. The song is a reminder that good things come to those who have perseverance and that every day can be an opportunity for something wonderful.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven
Whenever it rains, good things are sure to come your way
Don't you know each cloud contains pennies from heaven?
There's always something good in every situation, even in difficult times
You'll find your fortune falling all over the town
Good luck and fortune have no limits and can come from any direction
Be sure that your umbrella is upside down
Be open and ready to receive the good things that are coming your way
Trade them for a package of sunshine and sunflowers
Use the good things you receive to bring positivity and beauty in your life
If you want the things you love, you must have showers
In order to achieve the things you want, you must first go through some hardships
So, when you hear it thunder, don't run under a tree
Don't let fear or hesitation stop you from receiving the good things that are coming your way
There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me
Good luck and fortune are available for everyone and can be shared by all
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind