Paul Anka Quotations

When I'm writing, I generally toy with an idea until it manifests itself - meaning a phrase or a tune comes into my head and eventually begins to jell. When something hits me, I write it down immediately. I don't wait, or it's gone.

My father, my mother, and then my father was always on top of me - 'Keep your nose clean. Do you love what you're doing?' 'Yes.' 'Then be aware, or you're going to lose it.'

Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.

My demographic of people have been very supportive.

I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing my own tunes.

I wrote 'She's a Lady' on the back of a TWA menu, flying back from London after doing Tom Jones's TV show. Jones's manager wanted me to write him a song. If I have an idea and I don't have a pad of paper, I'll write on whatever is available. What's the difference? Paper is paper.

If you're in pop music, you've got to deal with the changing of the guard every few years. By the time the '70s arrived, I was well aware of the cyclical nature of the game. Pop music is a creature of the moment; it thrives on the mood of its time. Either you hook into that or you're not going to be part of it.

You know, my grandmother used to say, 'While I'm down here planning, God's up there laughing.' I guess the thing with most things that are worthwhile is that you can't give up easily. You've got to hang in.

I don't think you can get an idea of what Israel is like until you get here. People don't realize what a great place it is.

I believe in criticism.