--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Things began to pick up for me…" description: "\"Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.\" — Paul Anka" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg" --- # Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I… ![“Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.” quote by Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg) > “Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.” [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His career momentum grew after writing a hit song for Tom Jones. **In simple terms:** Writing a hit boosted his music career. Key Takeaway Create impactful work to advance your career. Themes career music creative breakthrough Mood optimistic determined Type motivational career When to use this quote - music production - career planning - networking - artist development Key Concepts songwriting industry recognition Questions to Reflect On - What can you create that resonates widely? - How do you sustain momentum after a breakthrough? A Different Perspective Success often requires more than a single hit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-wrote-she-s-a-lady-on-the-back-of-a-twa-menu-flying-back-from/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [If I book a table at a pub, or I've got an appointment at an optician's or something, I'll walk in and I'll say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-weston-jones/if-i-book-a-table-at-a-pub-or-i-ve-got-an-appointment-at-an-optician/) [Tom Weston-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-weston-jones/) > [All things began in Order, so shall they end, and so shall they begin again, according to the Ordainer of Order, and the mystical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/all-things-began-in-order-so-shall-they-end-and-so-shall-they-begin/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-had-just-come-to-accept-that-my-life-would-be-ordinary-when/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [I couldn't make sense of things. But then I began the process of civilising myself and trying to become a decent human being. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-nail/i-couldn-t-make-sense-of-things-but-then-i-began-the-process-of/) [Jimmy Nail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-nail/) > [I used to spend so much time reacting and responding to everyone else that my life had no direction. Other people's lives, problems, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/i-used-to-spend-so-much-time-reacting-and-responding-to-everyone-else/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [“The one thing all famous authors, world class athletes, business tycoons, singers, actors, and celebrated achievers in any field have in common is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-dooley/the-one-thing-all-famous-authors-world-class-athletes-business/) [Mike Dooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-dooley/) > [“Take Tom Jones and mix him with Enrico Caruso, the Italian tenor-cum-castrato singer. Then add tons of pathetic love songs, faked sex appeal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terje-b-englund/take-tom-jones-and-mix-him-with-enrico-caruso-the-italian-tenor-cum/) Terje B. Englund > [He's managed to make himself something highly unusual for a man at this stage of his career: unclassifiable. Unpredictable. Tom Jones is no joke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-tucker/he-s-managed-to-make-himself-something-highly-unusual-for-a-man-at/) Ken Tucker > [I have always really liked Tom Jones and I can't wait to see him in action. One thing is for sure, I would rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-have-always-really-liked-tom-jones-and-i-can-t-wait-to-see-him-in/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [On a good night, I get underwear, bras, and hotel-room keys thrown onstage... You start to think that you're Tom Jones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/on-a-good-night-i-get-underwear-bras-and-hotel-room-keys-thrown/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [Richard Burton was Welsh; Tom Jones is Welsh, and we Welshmen like to think of ourselves as heroes - on screen and off!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-dalton/richard-burton-was-welsh-tom-jones-is-welsh-and-we-welshmen-like-to/) [Timothy Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-dalton/) > [Tom Jones is like igloo-cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/tom-jones-is-like-igloo-cool/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [I picked 'It's Not Unusual,' and then I did the little hop that Tom Jones does and moved my hips. Tim loved it. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deep-roy/i-picked-it-s-not-unusual-and-then-i-did-the-little-hop-that-tom/) [Deep Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deep-roy/) ## More by Paul Anka > [My father, my mother, and then my father was always on top of me - 'Keep your nose clean. Do you love what you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/my-father-my-mother-and-then-my-father-was-always-on-top-of-me-keep/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [My family was a good family, I had a great Canadian education and I came up in a great, little town like Ottawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/my-family-was-a-good-family-i-had-a-great-canadian-education-and-i/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [The technology is good and it's bad. You know what you're dealing with out there musically, but my head stops at this electronic stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/the-technology-is-good-and-it-s-bad-you-know-what-you-re-dealing-with/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-don-t-think-you-can-get-an-idea-of-what-israel-is-like-until-you/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs. I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-had-this-talent-for-these-stupid-little-teenage-songs-i-just-couldn/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [When I'm writing, I generally toy with an idea until it manifests itself - meaning a phrase or a tune comes into my head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/when-i-m-writing-i-generally-toy-with-an-idea-until-it-manifests/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [I respect Jay-Z. I like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-respect-jay-z-i-like-him/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing my own tunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-just-couldn-t-get-anyone-to-sing-my-songs-so-i-had-to-sing-my-own/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [As long as you're growing in your profession and you're respected, you're going to stay as clean as you can, because you've got something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/as-long-as-you-re-growing-in-your-profession-and-you-re-respected-you/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [I've always believed that if you don't stay moving, they will throw dirt on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-ve-always-believed-that-if-you-don-t-stay-moving-they-will-throw/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-wrote-she-s-a-lady-on-the-back-of-a-twa-menu-flying-back-from/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [The thing is to be able to outlast the trends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/the-thing-is-to-be-able-to-outlast-the-trends/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [I had this talent for these stupid little teenage songs. I just couldn't get anyone to sing my songs, so I had to sing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/i-had-this-talent-for-these-stupid-little-teenage-songs-i-just-couldn-2/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/you-know-my-grandmother-used-to-say-while-i-m-down-here-planning-god/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) > [And now the end is near And so I face the final curtain, My friends, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/and-now-the-end-is-near-and-so-i-face-the-final-curtain-my-friends-i/) [Paul Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) [Explore all 27 Paul Anka quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/) ## More Began quotes > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [We began intercepting Japanese radio transmissions, which indicated the two forces were very close to each other. We found out later that we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-adams/we-began-intercepting-japanese-radio-transmissions-which-indicated/) [Jack Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-adams/) > [“Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began, and let the Lord be all in all to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/begin-as-you-mean-to-go-on-and-go-on-as-you-began-and-let-the-lord-be/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [We began as mineral. We emerged into plant life, and into the animal state, and then into being human, and always we have forgotten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/we-began-as-mineral-we-emerged-into-plant-life-and-into-the-animal/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [I didn't have any role models. I really thought I was doomed to this loveless, lonely life. I didn't know any gay people until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-batt/i-didn-t-have-any-role-models-i-really-thought-i-was-doomed-to-this/) [Bryan Batt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-batt/) > [I began with small roles in successful movies like 'No Country For Old Men' by the Coen brothers; but it was 'The Last Exorcism'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-began-with-small-roles-in-successful-movies-like-no-country-for-old/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [When God made the world, all things began with him. Life, death, it all began when he said so. That includes you and me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manae-poet-of-carisis/when-god-made-the-world-all-things-began-with-him-life-death-it-all/) Manae Poet Of Carisis > [“I'm not giving up my life. My life began when I met you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-eckrich/i-m-not-giving-up-my-life-my-life-began-when-i-met-you/) Shannon Eckrich > [I was precocious, so I began reading 'Cosmo' when I was 12.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-coles/i-was-precocious-so-i-began-reading-cosmo-when-i-was-12/) [Joanna Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-coles/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [I was a photographer. That's how I began my career, behind the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-tripathi/i-was-a-photographer-that-s-how-i-began-my-career-behind-the-camera/) [Shweta Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-tripathi/) > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. But in some ways it's amazing how adjusted society has become to it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-work-family-divide-is-the-biggest-issue-for-american-women-but-in/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I often get asked, 'Is the book dead?' It hasn't happened yet. It's different than music. Music was always meant to be pure sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/i-often-get-asked-is-the-book-dead-it-hasn-t-happened-yet-it-s/) [Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/) > [I wasn‘t—" I began. I didn‘t—" He began. How charming," V‘lane cut us off. His voice arrived before he did. "The very portrait of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/i-wasn-t-i-began-i-didn-t-he-began-how-charming-v-lane-cut-us-off-his/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Watergate got us to think of leaders as mere mortals. America began to think of itself in a very different way - I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/watergate-got-us-to-think-of-leaders-as-mere-mortals-america-began-to/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) Browse all 658 Began quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Anka" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wise-when-in-1971-i-wrote-she-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Began" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wise-when-in-1971-i-wrote-she-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d3/paul-anka-22494_began_things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wi_2019504.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Things began to pick up for me record-wise when in 1971 I wrote 'She's a Lady' for Tom Jones.” — Paul Anka", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Anka", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-anka/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Things began to pick up for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wise-when-in-1971-i-wrote-she-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-anka/things-began-to-pick-up-for-me-record-wise-when-in-1971-i-wrote-she-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```