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 Longest Day
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Many men will pass this way
Many men will count the hours
As they live the longest day
Many men are tired and weary
Many men are here to stay
Many men won't see the sunset
When it ends the longest day
This will be the longest day
Filled with hopes and filled with fears
Filled with blood and sweat and tears
Mant men the mighty thousands
Many men to victory
Marching on right into battle
In the longest day in history
In Paul Anka's song The Longest Day, the lyrics vividly portray the experiences of soldiers during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. The opening line, "Many men came here as soldiers," sets the stage for the intense and exhausting journey ahead. The repetition of "many men" throughout the song emphasizes the sheer number of soldiers involved in the operation, as well as their shared experiences of fear and fatigue. The line "Many men won't see the sunset" is particularly poignant, highlighting the heartbreaking reality that many soldiers lost their lives on that fateful day.
The chorus, "The longest day the longest day, This will be the longest day," is a powerful reminder that this was not just any battle; it was a historically significant event that marked a turning point in the war. The lyrics describe the day as full of "hopes and fears" as soldiers marched "right into battle." The use of the words "blood and sweat and tears" evokes the intense physical and emotional toll that the battle took on soldiers.
Overall, Paul Anka's The Longest Day is a moving tribute to the bravery, sacrifice, and endurance of soldiers who fought in one of the most important battles in world history.
Line by Line Meaning
Many men came here as soldiers
Numerous men arrived here as soldiers
Many men will pass this way
Several men will traverse this path
Many men will count the hours
A lot of men will keep track of time
As they live the longest day
As they experience the day that seems to never end
Many men are tired and weary
Numerous men are exhausted and fatigued
Many men are here to stay
Several men will remain here
Many men won't see the sunset
A lot of men won't witness the sun setting
When it ends the longest day
At the conclusion of the day that seems to never end
The longest day the longest day
The day that seems to never end, the day that seems to never end
This will be the longest day
This day is going to be the longest one
Filled with hopes and filled with fears
Packed with anticipation and apprehension
Filled with blood and sweat and tears
Loaded with struggle and agony
Mant men the mighty thousands
Plenty of strong men numbering in the thousands
Many men to victory
Several men towards triumph
Marching on right into battle
Walking forward straight into war
In the longest day in history
During the day that seems to never end in history
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Anka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gardening Lite
Many men came here as soldiers
Many men will pass this way
Many men will count the hours
As they live the longest day
Many men are tired and weary
Many men are here to stay
Many men won't see the sunset
When it ends the longest day
The longest day the longest day
This will be the longest day
Filled with hopes and filled with fears
Filled with blood and sweat and tears
Many men the mighty thousands
Many men to victory
Marching on right into battle
In the longest day in history"
Gardening Lite
Many men came here as soldiers
Many men will pass this way
Many men will count the hours
As they live the longest day
Many men are tired and weary
Many men are here to stay
Many men won't see the sunset
When it ends the longest day
The longest day the longest day
This will be the longest day
Filled with hopes and filled with fears
Filled with blood and sweat and tears
Many men the mighty thousands
Many men to victory
Marching on right into battle
In the longest day in history"
Pat Powers
Great movie...great song...we will never forget after 70 years.
Oscar Thomas
Now 75
madmaxxxxxxxxxx
Amazing movie. I watched a couple of times 10 years ago. I am going to watch it again tomorrow.
Jeffrey De Guzman
This is the first time I hear this song and I love it, beautiful!
Jerry Mills
It always makes me think of my uncle Rudolph McAllister. He fought at Omaha Beach. May he rest in peace.
Claude Sestier
trés belle chanson en hommage à tous ces GI qui se sont battus pour notre liberté encore merci à eux !!
captainyord
I LOVE THIS MOVIE AND HIS SONG !!!!
Dupont Laurent
Je suis normand du Cotentin et chez nous nous le débarquement des américains, des alliés et des français libres reste un temps fort dans nos mémoires .Nous commémorons chaque année cet événement pour ne jamais oublier de penser à ces jeunes hommes morts pour notre LIBERTE.
Naty Funelas
One of the best of Paul Anka and added to the Historical events in the WWII....if you have seen this film Paul Anka's character was very funny and natural,very petite....