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."
Your Cheatin' Heart
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get a notion from the look in your eyes yeah
You've built a love but that love falls apart
Your little piece of heaven turns to dark
Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye
Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile
The precious moments are all lost in the tide yeah
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems
The feeling of belonging to your dreams
Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye
And there are voices that want to be heard
So much to mention but you can't find the words
The scent of magic, the beauty that's been
When love was wilder than the wind
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before oh
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye
Listen to your heart
Oh listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
Heart
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
Listen to your heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song Your Cheatin' Heart talk about the power of following your feelings when it comes to relationships. The opening lines suggest that the subject of the song is trying to hide something behind a smile and a look. The next line reveals that they are feeling torn between the love that they have built and the fact that it is falling apart. The line "Your little piece of heaven turns to dark" suggests that their life has been turned upside down and they are in a dark place.
The chorus is a message to the subject of the song to listen to their heart when it comes to making a decision about their relationship. The line "There's nothing else you can do" has a double meaning. It suggests that there is nothing else that they can do but listen to their heart, but it also suggests that there is no other option for them, they have to listen to their heart.
The final verse provides a glimpse into the complexity of the situation. There are voices that want to be heard, but they can't find the words. There is a sense that there was a time when the love was wilder than the wind, but now it has become something that they can't control. The message of the song is to listen to your heart before making decisions about love and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I know there's something in the wake of your smile
I sense that behind your smile, something is troubling you and your behavior makes me suspicious.
I get a notion from the look in your eyes yeah
Your eyes betray you and confirm my suspicion about something not being right.
You've built a love but that love falls apart
You tried to establish a relationship, but it didn't work out and is now falling apart.
Your little piece of heaven turns to dark
Your once blissful and happy life has now turned miserable and dark.
Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye
Your heart knows the right thing to do, and you must follow it even though you may not know why or where you're headed. But you must listen to your heart before ending things with him/her.
Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile
At times you may question if staying in this relationship and fighting for it is worth it.
The precious moments are all lost in the tide yeah
Those cherished moments that mattered to you both have been washed away with time and are now gone.
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems
Everything that once seemed so perfect and clear is now gone and unclear.
The feeling of belonging to your dreams
The feeling of being in love with someone you dreamt of is a fleeting thing, and it doesn't necessarily come true.
And there are voices that want to be heard
There are voices that demand your attention, telling you to take action.
So much to mention but you can't find the words
There's so much to say, yet you're at a loss for words and cannot express yourself.
The scent of magic, the beauty that's been
The magical aroma of love and the beauty of being together have now faded away.
When love was wilder than the wind
Love was once wild and adventurous, now it's lost that zeal and passion.
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before oh
Your heart can guide you when you're in doubt, so give it a listen. There's nothing else you can do but trust your instincts. Even though you may not know where things are headed, just listen to your heart before making any rash decisions.
Oh listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
Heart
Listen to your heart (take a listen to it)
Listen to your heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
Listen to your heart
Heart
You must listen to your heart and let it guide you, as it's your truest companion and will always lead you in the right direction.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Per Hakan Gessle, Mats Arne Persson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saabiel Bosum
Never heard this version. Paul Anka is one of my favourite singers from the 50’s. Also he’s from Ottawa.
Dimitris 004 & daughter - New channel
Thanks !
Enrique R
que maravilla de canción, la carátula del disco, en su época tenía protagonismo, en tiendas, en paradas de autobús, en escaparates de musica, yo tuve un poster igual, 🎄🎅🌲🎆🎍☀🌠💒. enrique, valencia, España, 17/12/2016.
Dimitris 004 & daughter - New channel
Los mejores recuerdos de ...Gracias !