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."
Side By Side
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I've looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I've looked at love that way
But now it's just another show
You leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know
Don't give yourself away
I've looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions I recall
I really don't know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say "I love you" right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I've looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day
I've looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
I've looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all
In Paul Anka's song "Side By Side," the singer reflects on his life experiences and how his perspectives have changed over time. The first verse talks about how he used to look at clouds in a dreamy and imaginative way as representing different things he wanted to achieve in life. However, he now sees clouds as mere obstacles that block the sun and bring rain and snow. This shift in perspective is mirrored in the chorus, where he sings about looking at clouds and love from both sides, but still feeling like he doesn't really know them at all. The second verse is about love and how he used to see it as a fairytale come to life, but now sees it as just another "show" that he's become disillusioned with. He urges listeners to protect their vulnerabilities and not "give themselves away." The third verse takes a broader view of life, with references to the passage of time and changing relationships. The singer acknowledges that he's lost something along the way, but gained new perspectives and experiences. Overall, the song is about coming to terms with the inevitable shifts in perspective and priorities that come with growing older and gaining new life experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Rows and floes of angel hair
Reminiscing about picturesque sights and daydreams in his mind
And ice cream castles in the air
Fantasies that were born because of a playful mind
And feather canyons everywhere
Fond memories of whimsical journeys he took in his dreams
I've looked at clouds that way
The clouds presented a canvas for dreams and fantasies in the past
But now they only block the sun
The same clouds act as a blocking agent for the sun's light and warmth
They rain and snow on everyone
Clouds are now merely an impasse that causes discomfort and problems
So many things I would have done
The singer wishes he could've done so much more without hindrances
But clouds got in my way
Figuratively speaking, the clouds were an obstacle in his life
I've looked at clouds from both sides now
The artist is looking at the clouds from a different perspective
From up and down, and still somehow
From different angles but still not being able to form a complete understanding about clouds
It's cloud illusions I recall
What remains in his memory is the illusions of clouds from his childhood
I really don't know clouds at all
Admitting that he does not comprehend or know the full extent of clouds
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
Various events that hold importance to different people, all bundled together
The dizzy dancing way you feel
The energy of being in love is quite the same as the feeling of being dizzy
As every fairy tale comes real
Being in love feels very much like a fairytale romance coming to life
I've looked at love that way
In the past, love felt like every fairytale come true
But now it's just another show
In the present, love feels more like an act
You leave 'em laughing when you go
When you leave the show, the audience is amused by your act
And if you care, don't let them know
When people actually care about their partner, they should not reveal it too easily so as not to be hurt
Don't give yourself away
Do not be too vulnerable, continue keeping the facade.
I've looked at love from both sides now
Looking at love from different perspectives
From give and take, and still somehow
From both aspects, still not understanding everything about love
It's love's illusions I recall
Memories of how love was supposed to be, what he thought it to be
I really don't know love at all
Confesses to still not understanding the concept of love
Tears and fears and feeling proud
The line depicts the range of emotions one goes through in life
To say "I love you" right out loud
The courage to confess love plainly and simply
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Fanciful notions and a crowd of friends who bring these dreams to life
I've looked at life that way
In the past, the artist looked at life through these fanciful lenses
But now old friends are acting strange
The artist notices his friends' behavior has become unusual
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Friends are not able to understand the singer and say that he has changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
The singer has lost something but also gained something
In living every day
Realizing that every day is a chance to learn something new and gain something else
I've looked at life from both sides now
Examining life from different points of view
From win and lose and still somehow
From both victory and defeat and still not being able to comprehend life completely
It's life's illusions I recall
Realizing that the illusions of life still linger
I really don't know life at all
The artist still cannot say that he understands the intricacies of life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josefina Martinez
Good song ❤️❤️
Michel Motta
fantastic