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."
The End of the World
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because I broke your heart
End of the world's coming
Before I got a start
End of the world's coming
Because we've gone to far
End of the world's coming
End of the world's coming
And I've forgotten to confess
Now they've saving all the rest
Good Mary bless my soul now
'Cause you know God the best
You know God the best
And you know God the best
And I can see it coming
Moods are growing dark
TV says it's not coming
But we know who they are
End of the world's coming
'Cause I use it everyday
End of the world's coming
'Cause I scuffed my shoes that way
In "The End of the World", Paul Anka sings about the feeling of impending doom he has after breaking someone's heart. He believes that because he broke their heart, the world will come to an end. He also speaks about how he feels like he has missed his chance in life and thought he was destined for fame and fortune. Anka believes that confessing his sins will save him from the impending doom.
The lyrics speak to the irrational fears one may feel after causing pain to someone they care about. Although the situation may not actually lead to the end of the world, it feels like it could be catastrophic. Additionally, the lyrics suggest a fear of the unknown and a lack of control, as evidenced by the reference to the moods growing dark and the implications that "they" know something about the end of the world that "we" don't.
Overall, "The End of the World" is a testament to the power of guilt and fear in our lives, and how they can skew our perceptions of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
End of the world's coming
The inevitable end of everything is approaching
Because I broke your heart
The singer's actions have contributed to the impending doom
Before I got a start
It's all ending before the singer even had a chance to begin
Because we've gone too far
What's done is done and the point of no return has been crossed
'Cause I thought I was a star
Arrogance and self-importance have blinded the artist to the warning signs of the end
And I've forgotten to confess
The singer hasn't taken responsibility for their actions or sought forgiveness
Now they're saving all the rest
Others are being spared or saved, but the singer may not be so lucky
Good Mary bless my soul now
A plea for mercy or divine intervention
'Cause you know God the best
Someone with a deeper connection to God may be able to intercede on the artist's behalf
And I can see it coming
The artist is aware of the impending doom, despite what the TV or others may say
Moods are growing dark
The signs of the end are all around, and emotions are running high
TV says it's not coming
The media may be downplaying or denying the situation, but the reality is different
But we know who they are
The singer and others like them have a different perspective and are not fooled
Because I use it everyday
The singer has contributed to the end through their actions, even if seemingly insignificant
Because I scuffed my shoes that way
Small actions, mistakes, or oversights can have big consequences and contribute to the end
Lyrics © DistroKid, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
spinout3
never heard this version. paul anka can sing anything.10/10.
Sofía Ventura
veryyy verry beautiful song...thank youu....... I LOVE YOU PAUL ♥♥until the end of the world Paul I'm still you are beautiful Paul
Zev Feldman
hey paul is old 76 he can be your grandpa
tracy fraser
Blooming fab!
Bob Zysk
Horrible version!
Sounds like he’s giving birth!
Herman’s Hermits crushes this.
Just used in The Queens Gambit