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."
Time to Cry
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you know you're lonely, you're not the one and only
Who will cry?
When your heart is broken, that's the time to cry
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
Loneliness is why I cry
For you have made my heart a slave
And now it's up to you
When somebody leaves you, that's the time to cry
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
In the song "Time to Cry" by Paul Anka, the lyrics depict a narrative of heartbreak and loneliness after a relationship ends. Anka advises that when someone leaves, it is the appropriate time to cry. He acknowledges that being alone makes one feel less unique. The song highlights the experience of a broken heart and the feelings that come with it. Paul Anka masterfully employs metaphors such as “Happiness is what I long for; loneliness is why I cry” to express his pain and to emphasize how much he values his ex-lover.
The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is struggling to come to terms with his grief. He feels like he is in bondage to his emotions and finds it hard to let go. Nonetheless, he understands that crying is a healing process that must be accepted, as it is an essential milestone of the healing journey. It is only by crying that he can purge himself of the toxic emotions that ail him. He realizes that he has no choice but to cry, as this is the only way he can ever hope to move on. The song captures the complexities of heartbreak and the trials that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
When somebody leaves you, that's the time to cry
The appropriate time to cry is when someone leaves you and you feel alone.
When you know you're lonely, you're not the one and only
If you feel lonely, you're not the only one who has experienced this feeling.
Who will cry?
Many people cry when they feel sad or alone.
When your heart is broken, that's the time to cry
When your heart feels shattered, it is normal to cry and express your emotions.
When you know she's left you, you'll know that she has left you
When you realize that someone you love has gone, you understand that this is indeed the case.
Happiness is what I long for
I desire to be happy and content with my life.
Loneliness is why I cry
My loneliness causes me to cry and express my sadness.
For you have made my heart a slave
I feel that my emotions and actions are controlled by my love for you.
And now it's up to you
The fate of my heart and emotions is now in your hands.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariagarciamartinez7101
When somebody leaves you
That's the time to cry
When you know you're lonely
You're not the one and only
Who will cry
When your heart is broken
That's the time to cry
When you know she's left you
You'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
Happiness is what I long for
Loneliness is why I cry
For you have made my heart a slave
And now it's up to you
When somebody leaves you
That's the time to cry
When you know she's left you
You'll know that she has left you
So you can cry
@taylively6518
every person back in the day was attractive as hell wtf
@abw3841
Your username is amazing
@Emerald_V_23
Probably because they used to eat healthier back then.
@user-rt3cq3vq9p
Ikr wtf happened 😂
@alexaescobar1736
American Pie omg ikr 😩🥵
@angrybeast0648
An Aesthetic boy 😫
@AdrianoPedrasPreciosas
Adorei a música mas as garotas são lindas 💖💖💖
@andreoliveiraretro80
Acho que naquela época quem sabia cantar bem fazia sucesso com as garotas
@lilamorbrumzachlindo1524
Nem todas.
@jules-dl2sm
The way he sings looks effortless