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."
Walk A Fine Line
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To know when to say good bye.
Know from the start,
All you can do is try.
Take a chance with the ways of the fine line
And that's when you know that everything can fall apart.
You know when it is the first time you tell a lie
You face the faze with the waves of the heart,
You've come to the place where suddenly the heart has stopped.
[Chorus]
Here, where black turns to white
It's good or it's bad, wrong turns to right.
But when it's worth it, babe,
Held your head high,
You'll learn what it means to walk a fine line.
To know when to leave,
To know when to say goodbye,
And know from the start
All you can do is try.
To take any chance
With the ways of a heart
You've come to the place
Where suddenly the heart is done.
[Chorus]
Taking a chance with the ways of a heart
And that's when you learn that everything falls, falls apart.
[Chorus]
Here, babe, black turns to white,
It's good or it's bad, wrong turns to right.
But when it's worth it, babe,
You gotta hang on,
You learn what it means to walk a fine line.
There's a place where black turns to white
Where it's goof or it's bad.
But when it's worth it, babe, you'll learn to hang on,
You learn what it means to walk a fine line.
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song Walk A Fine Line discuss the idea of taking risks in love and relationships, and knowing when it's time to walk away. The song acknowledges that it can be difficult to know when to leave someone, but ultimately, it's important to try and take a chance if it's worth it. The lyrics suggest that there is a fine line between staying and leaving, and learning to navigate this line is key to finding happiness and fulfillment in relationships.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, suggesting that there is a place "where black turns to white" and "wrong turns to right." This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the gray area of relationships, where the outcome is uncertain and there are no clear answers. However, the lyrics suggest that even in this uncertain space, it's possible to hold on and learn what it means to walk a fine line.
Overall, the lyrics to Walk A Fine Line are introspective and sensitive, urging listeners to pay attention to their hearts and take calculated risks in order to find love and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
To know when to leave,
You must learn to recognize when it's time to move on.
To know when to say goodbye.
It's equally important to know when to let go.
Know from the start,
Be aware from the beginning that things may not always work out.
All you can do is try.
Despite the risks, you must always give it your best effort.
Take a chance with the ways of the fine line
Embrace the gray area and take risks, even if the outcome is uncertain.
And that's when you know that everything can fall apart.
When you take risks, there's always the possibility of failure and things falling apart.
You know when it is the first time you tell a lie
The moment you begin to compromise your honesty is a significant moment.
When honesty ends, but you can't say goodbye.
It's difficult to let go of something you've invested in, even when you know it's not the right thing.
You face the faze with the waves of the heart,
Emotions can be unpredictable and difficult to navigate.
You've come to the place where suddenly the heart has stopped.
Sometimes emotions can become so overwhelming that they cease to have an impact.
[Chorus] Here, where black turns to white
In situations where right and wrong aren't clear cut.
It's good or it's bad, wrong turns to right.
In a moral gray area, any action can be interpreted as good or bad.
But when it's worth it, babe,
When the benefits outweigh the risks.
Held your head high,
Be proud of your decisions and actions.
You'll learn what it means to walk a fine line.
Taking risks and living in the gray area will teach you a lot about the world and yourself.
Taking a chance with the ways of a heart
Choosing to follow your heart and take risks.
And that's when you learn that everything falls, falls apart.
Risks can lead to failure and collapse.
[Chorus] Here, babe, black turns to white,
Again emphasizing choices in the gray areas of life.
It's good or it's bad, wrong turns to right.
Your actions can be construed in many different ways depending on perspective.
But when it's worth it, babe, you gotta hang on,
The importance of perseverance and not giving up when things are difficult.
You learn what it means to walk a fine line.
When you're taking risks and pushing boundaries, you're walking the fine line between success and failure.
There's a place where black turns to white
Again emphasizing the ambiguity of certain situations.
Where it's goof or it's bad.
The outcomes of our choices aren't always clear cut.
But when it's worth it, babe, you'll learn to hang on,
Choose the risks and choices that matter most to you and stick with them even when things aren't going well.
You learn what it means to walk a fine line.
Taking risks and living in the gray area will teach you a lot about the world and yourself.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MICHAEL H MCDONALD, PAUL ANKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind