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."
Puppy Love
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, I guess they'll never know
How a young heart how it really feels
And why I love her so
And they called it puppy love
Just because we're, we're seventeen
Tell them all it's
Please tell them it isn't fair
To take away my only dream
I cry each night
My tears for you
My tears are all in vain
I hope and I'll pray
That maybe someday
You'll be back (you'll be back) in my arms (in my arms)
Once again (you'll be back in my arms once again)
Someone help me, help me
Help me, please
Is the answer up above?
How can I
Oh, how can I ever tell them?
This is not a puppy love
(This is not a puppy love)
Someone help me, help me
Help me, please
Is the answer up above?
How can I ever tell them?
This is not a puppy love
(This is not a puppy love)
In Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka's song "Puppy Love," the singer is lamenting society's dismissal of their relationship as mere "puppy love." He reflects on the ignorance of others who cannot understand the depth of his emotions towards his partner, an experience in which he is not alone. As a young teenager, the singer believes others do not comprehend the intensity of romantic love and instead trivialize it as a fleeting, juvenile passion. He admits to crying himself to sleep each night, pining for his lover, whom he hopes will return to him someday.
However, in the song's final lines, the singer asks for help and questions whether "the answer" lies "up above." This plea may suggest the singer's struggle with expressing his feelings to the outside world and seeking affirmation that what he feels is more than superficial. Ultimately, the song seems to capture the feeling of a young person grappling with the complexity of love and seeking recognition and validation of their emotions from a society that often dismisses teenagers' experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
And they called it puppy love
People dismiss our love as just a fleeting, immature crush
Oh, I guess they'll never know
They don't understand how real our feelings are
How a young heart how it really feels
They don't comprehend the depth of emotion that comes with young love
And why I love her so
They don't recognize the reasons behind my affection for her
Just because we're, we're seventeen
They invalidate our love based solely on our youth
Tell them all it's
I beg everyone to understand that our love is not just puppy love
Please tell them it isn't fair
I implore them to acknowledge that it's unfair to trivialize our relationship
To take away my only dream
By belittling our love, they're taking away my hope for a future with her
I cry each night
I'm unable to contain my sadness and emotions
My tears for you
My tears are a result of missing you
My tears are all in vain
Despite my tears, I feel hopeless without you
I hope and I'll pray
I hold onto faith that things will work out between us
That maybe someday
I dream of a future where we can be together again
You'll be back (you'll be back) in my arms (in my arms)
I long for the moment our loving embrace is restored
Once again (you'll be back in my arms once again)
I crave another opportunity to hold you close
Someone help me, help me
I plea for assistance and guidance
Is the answer up above?
I wonder if the solution to our troubles lies in a higher power
How can I, oh, how can I ever tell them?
I struggle with finding a way to prove the sincerity of our love to others
This is not a puppy love (this is not a puppy love)
I steadfastly believe that our love is genuine and not just a fleeting crush
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Paul Anka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind