Lonely Boy

Album: Paul Anka Sings His Big 15 (1959)
Charted: 3 1
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Anka reveals that despite his success, he's still lonely:

    I've got everything you could think of
    But all I want is someone to love


    Anka was just 16 in 1957 when his song "Diana" topped the charts in both the US and UK, making him an international star. He quickly became one of the biggest stars of the late '50s, but there was something missing. "In moving around so much, I never had time to spend with the people really close to me," he said. "I wanted to experience more than just the success syndrome. I was reaching out, saying, 'Hey, I want somebody to share this with me." (Quote from the liner notes of The Very Best of Paul Anka.)
  • Anka's mother, Camelia, was very sick when he wrote this song, which gave him the emotional impetus. She passed away on May 11, 1961 at age 37 after years suffering from diabetes.
  • Anka had a talent for writing about the teenage experience in the '50s, as he was one (he was born in 1941). "I was a lonely boy and I'd see these lonely boys at all these hops," he said.
  • Anka hit a dry spell in the '60s, but charted another #1 hit in 1974 with "(You're) Having My Baby." With 15 years between them, it was at the time a record for the longest span between #1 songs.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Little Big Town

Little Big TownSongwriter Interviews

"When seeds that you sow grow by the wicked moon/Be sure your sins will find you out/Your past will hunt you down and turn to tell on you."

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.

Carol Kaye

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.