“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” was written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka, it was recorded in August 1958 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City. Anka’s rendition was released as a single on August 17, 1959, by ABC-Paramount. It’s notable that this recording occurred just three weeks before Anka’s chart-topping hit “Lonely Boy”.
The song conveys themes of love, intimacy, and devotion. It reflects a desire for closeness and reassurance within a romantic relationship. Anka himself shared that the lyrics encapsulated the romantic aspirations of young love, including the desire for physical closeness and affection. “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” achieved significant success, becoming a quintessential love ballad. Its emotional resonance and timeless appeal have contributed to its enduring popularity.
“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” is one of the most cherished love songs of all time. Paul Anka wrote and recorded it in 1959, at the height of his fame – being the most successful teenage-singer of the ’50s who wrote his own song. He had been a star for two years, having a No. 1 hit with “Diana” in 1957.
Like his previous hits, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” captured the coy tenderness of the 1950’s teenage popular culture. Anka’s inspiration came from his fans, whom he would notice in the audience during his performances.
“I was very much aware of the ambiance of these record hops…that was a room full of kids, and a lot of ballads and everyone was holding each other, and I am up there singing along to all of these teenagers, and everybody’s head was on each other’s shoulders,” Anka said. “It was kind of important back in the ’50s, a time of innocence and romance…”
However, he never heard a song that expressed such feeling, “so one night I went back to my hotel room and wrote ‘Put Your Head on My Shoulder.’”
“Put Your Head on My Shoulder” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Nine years later, the song was again popular at No. 44 on the charts with The Lettermen’s 1968 rendition. Canadian singer Michael Bublé – who started as Anka’s protégé – also covered “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” on his widely successful self-titled debut album in 2003.
But nobody does it better than Paul Anka. The music legend started being one of the biggest teen idols of the late ’50s. By 1961, when the teen idol craze began to cool off, Anka could boast of the over 125 compositions under his belt, as well as his own record label called Spanka, and the recognition of being behind the second-best-selling single of all time. But instead of resting on his laurels, Anka moved to the adult sphere and became a successful performer, songwriter, recording artist, and music businessman staying so well into the new millennium.
Tune in below for his breathtaking performance of “Put Your Head on My Shoulder.”
Video
Lyric
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
Put your head on my shoulder
Hold me in your arms, baby
Squeeze me oh so tight
Show me that you love me too
Put your lips next to mine, dear
Won’t you kiss me once, baby
Just a kiss goodnight, maybe
You and I will fall in love
(You and I will fall in love)
People say that love’s a game
A game you just can’t win
If there’s a way
I’ll find it someday
And then this fool will rush inPut your head on my shoulder
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear
Tell me, tell me that you love me too
(Tell me that you love me too)
Put your head on my shoulder
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear, baby
Put your head on my shoulder
