Born in Providence, RI, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was constantly bombarded with music as he was growing up. He had five brothers and six sisters, some of whom went on to have music careers. His father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, and died when Jeffrey was only 13. His mother, Wanita, is ancestored by a Pequot Indian sachem. His oldest brother, Clay Osborne, is a singer and pianist, and Billy, another brother, is a songwriter and producer in Los Angeles. But Osborne's father had the greatest influence on his musical career; Clarence "Legs" Osborne turned down many top band offers during his career to be with his family. It was only after receiving his mother's encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the O'Jays when the drummer was too tired to play, and went on to play with them for two weeks. It was at a Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. in 1969.
Osborne's solo career has brought him five gold and platinum albums, including Stay With Me Tonight, Aymuk, and Only Human. He also recorded an album of duets with popular singer James Ingram, and scored an international hit with "On the Wings of Love" in 1982. Osborne's touring and recording continue to keep him busy much of the time, but he also devotes some of his time to charity work.
Smile
Jeffrey Osborne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smile even though it's breaking,
When there are clouds in the sky,
You'll get by,
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worth while
If you just,
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile what the use in crying
You'll find that life is still worth while
If you just smile
Though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by,
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worth while
If you just smile
That's the time you must keep
Smile what's the use in crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile.
The lyrics of Jeffrey Osborne’s song Smile are a beautiful message of hope and resilience. The song encourages listeners to keep smiling even during tough times such as when their hearts are aching or breaking, when there are clouds in the sky, or when fear and sorrow are present. The message being conveyed is that life is worth living even when things are not looking up. The lines “smile and maybe tomorrow you’ll find that life is still worth while” and “you’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you just smile” speak to the idea of having a positive attitude during difficult times and the possibility of things getting better if we keep a positive perspective.
The song highlights the need to keep trying and putting on a brave face even when close to tears. The line, “That's the time you must keep on trying,” is a call to persevere even when things may seem bleak. Ultimately, the message of the song is a beautiful reminder that we have the power to control our outlook, and that smiling, even in the most trying times, is a powerful choice that can help us feel better and persevere through life’s challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Smile though your heart is aching,
Even if you feel pain in your heart, try to smile
Smile even though it's breaking,
Keep smiling even when your heart feels like it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky,
When things in life seem cloudy and uncertain
You'll get by,
You will survive and make it through
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Even when you're afraid or sad, smile anyway
Smile and maybe tomorrow
Perhaps by smiling today, tomorrow will be better
You'll find that life is still worth while
You will see that life is still valuable, even in difficult times
If you just,
All you need to do is
Light up your face with gladness
Put on a happy expression even when you don't feel it inside
Hide every trace of sadness
Don't let anyone see that you're feeling down
Although a tear may be ever so near
Even if you feel like crying
That's the time you must keep on trying
It's important to keep going even when it's hard
Smile what the use in crying
There's no point in crying, so you might as well smile
Though your heart is aching
Even if you're in emotional pain
When there are clouds in the sky
During difficult times in life
You'll get by,
You will make it through
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Even if you're scared or sad, keep smiling
Smile and maybe tomorrow
By smiling today, tomorrow could be better
You'll find that life is still worth while
Life still holds value even during tough times
If you just smile
You can make a difference in your life just by smiling
That's the time you must keep
During those hardest moments
Smile what's the use in crying
There's no use crying, so you might as well smile
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
Even during tough times, life holds value
If you just smile.
All it takes is a smile to make a difference
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons, Charles Chaplin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind