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."
Sweet Sweet Rosalie
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't have a special date
I was sitting
On a park bench by the lake
I heard a cry
And very much to my surprise
Someone kissed me
I turned around to solve this mystery
And who d'ya think was sittin' next to me?
My sweet Rosalie
Though she always plays around
She never brings me down
My sweet Rosie
Sweet Rosalie
She is always full of fun
I'm the only one for my Rosie
My sweet Rosie
We started home (We started home)
It was almost time for tea
It's been a good day (Been a good day)
For me and Rosalie
It's fun together (Fun together)
'Cause we're such a perfect pair
And when I want her (When I want her)
I know she's always there
She's ev'rything a guy could ever need
I love her, oh, I love her, yes, indeed
My sweet Rosalie
Though she always plays around
She never brings me down
My sweet Rosie
Sweet Rosalie
She is always full of fun
I'm the only one for my Rosie
My sweet Rosalie
Though she always plays around
She never brings me down
My sweet Rosie
Sweet Rosalie
She is always full of fun
I'm the only one for my Rosie
My sweet Rosie
She's the only one for me
The cutest little puppy dog you'll see
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song Sweet Sweet Rosalie tell the story of a chance encounter by the lake. The singer is sitting on a park bench when he hears a cry and is surprised to find that someone has kissed him. He turns around to see his beloved Rosalie, who he describes as always full of fun and the perfect partner for him. Despite acknowledging that she "always plays around," he loves her and feels that she never brings him down.
The song's romantic lyrics are conveyed through a lively, upbeat melody filled with catchy hooks and a strong guitar riff. The chorus, featuring repeated refrains of "My sweet Rosalie, she is always full of fun, I'm the only one for my Rosie," is particularly memorable and highlights the singer's devotion to his girlfriend.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it celebrates the joys of young love and the thrill of unexpected encounters. The singer's encounter with Rosalie is unexpected, but it leads to a fun-filled day and reaffirms his love for her. Another interpretation is that the singer is aware of Rosalie's flaws, but loves her anyway, a theme that resonates with anyone who has ever been in a less-than-perfect relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
It was late
The singer notes that it was late in the day
I didn't have a special date
The singer was sitting alone because he didn't have a date
I was sitting
The singer was sitting on a park bench by a lake
I heard a cry
The artist heard a cry that surprised him
And very much to my surprise
The artist was surprised by what happened next
Someone kissed me
Someone kissed the singer out of nowhere
Made me open up my eyes
The kiss was a wake-up call for the singer
I turned around to solve this mystery
The artist turned around to see who had kissed him
And who d'ya think was sittin' next to me?
To the artist's surprise, Sweet Rosalie was sitting next to him
My sweet Rosalie
The artist refers to Sweet Rosalie affectionately
Though she always plays around
The singer acknowledges Sweet Rosalie's playful nature
She never brings me down
Despite her playfulness, Sweet Rosalie never makes the artist feel bad
She is always full of fun
The singer notes that Sweet Rosalie is always fun to be around
I'm the only one for my Rosie
The singer declares that he is the perfect match for Sweet Rosalie
We started home (We started home)
The singer and Sweet Rosalie started walking home
It was almost time for tea
The artist notes that it was almost time for tea
It's been a good day (Been a good day)
The artist reflects on the good day he had with Sweet Rosalie
For me and Rosalie
The singer and Sweet Rosalie had a good day together
It's fun together (Fun together)
The singer notes that he and Sweet Rosalie have fun together
'Cause we're such a perfect pair
The artist notes that they are perfect together
And when I want her (When I want her)
The artist knows that Sweet Rosalie is always there for him
I know she's always there
The artist trusts that Sweet Rosalie will always be there for him
She's ev'rything a guy could ever need
The singer thinks that Sweet Rosalie is everything he could ever want in a partner
I love her, oh, I love her, yes, indeed
The artist declares his love for Sweet Rosalie
She's the only one for me
The singer reaffirms that he and Sweet Rosalie are meant to be together
The cutest little puppy dog you'll see
The singer compares Sweet Rosalie to a cute puppy dog
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NICK MUNRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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