Paul Albert Anka, OC (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor. Anka became famous in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s with hit songs like "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". He wrote such well-known music as the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and one of Tom Jones's biggest hits, "She's a Lady", as well as the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra's signature song, "My Way" (originally the French song "Comme d'habitude"). He was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2005.
In 1983, he co-wrote the song "I Never Heard" with Michael Jackson. It was retitled and released in 2009 under the name "This Is It". An additional song that Jackson co-wrote with Anka from this 1983 session, "Love Never Felt So Good", was since discovered and was released on Jackson's posthumous album Xscape in 2014. The song was also released by Johnny Mathis in 1984.
Anka became a naturalized US citizen in 1990.
Everyday my papa would work
To try to make ends meet
To see that we would eat
Keep those shoes upon my feet
Every night my papa would take me
Tuck me in my bed
Kiss me on my head
After all my prayers were said
And there were years
Of sadness and of tears
Through it all
Together we were strong
We were strong
The times were rough
But Papa he was tough
And, Mama, she stood beside him all along
Growing up with them was easy
Time just flew on by
The years began to fly
They aged, but so did I
I could tell
Mama wasn't well
And Papa knew and deep down so did she
So did she
And when she died
Papa broke down and cried
And all he could say was: "God, why her? Take me!"
Everyday he sat there sleeping in a rocking chair
He never went upstairs
Because she wasn't there
Then one day my Papa said,
"Son, I'm proud of how you've grown"
He said: "Go make it on your own.
And don't worry! I'm O.K. alone."
He said: "There are things you must do; places you must see!"
His eyes were sad as he...
