Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” Will Absolutely Make Your Heart Flutter
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- Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
- Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
- Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.
“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. 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,” the song goes.
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