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."
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
And if you ever saw him
You would even say it glows
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Play in any reindeer games
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
"Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
You'll go down in history!
The opening lines of Paul Anka's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" introduce the familiar roster of names of Santa's eight reindeer. This leads to the chorus, which highlights the ninth and most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, whose glowing red nose made him unique and easily recognizable. The song then portrays Rudolph's experience of being an outcast- ridiculed and left out from games by his peers. But one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa recognizes Rudolph's difference as an advantage; he asks Rudolph to lead his sleigh, thereby turning the "misfit" into a hero. The reindeer who had teased Rudolph now sing his praises and express their newfound love for him.
The song struck a chord with listeners when it was released in 1958, and it has become a Christmas classic that is universally beloved. The story of Rudolf and his shining red nose resonates with kids and adults alike. The song seems to be about celebrating differences. It's a poignant message about embracing what makes us unique instead of mocking others for being different.
Line by Line Meaning
You know Dasher and Dancer
You are familiar with the names of Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen
As well as the names of Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid
And of course the names of Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen
Plus the names of Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall
However, do you remember
The most famous reindeer of all
About the most well-known reindeer of them all
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the reindeer with a red, shiny nose,
Had a very shiny nose.
Had a nose that was extremely bright and glistening.
And if you ever saw him
If you ever were to see him
You would even say it glows
You would even assert that it has a glowing effect
All of the other reindeer
All the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
Used to ridicule and taunt Rudolph
They never let poor Rudolph
They never allowed poor Rudolph
Play in any reindeer games
To participate in any of their games or activities
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Then on a misty Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
Santa arrived and addressed him
"Rudolph with your nose so bright
"Rudolph, with your extremely bright nose,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Can you help me guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him
At that point, all the other reindeer appreciated him
As they shouted out with glee
And even shouted with extreme happiness
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Rudolph, the reindeer with the shiny, red nose,
You'll go down in history!
You will forever be remembered as a part of Christmas lore!
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, DistroKid, ST. NICHOLAS MUSIC INC., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Marks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind