Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour, he became a popular nightclub entertainer. His first recordings in the late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Aitken's 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom. Other more Jamaican rhythm and blues orientated singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl" and "More Whisky" both produced by Duke Reid.
Aitken moved to Brixton, London, in 1960 and recorded for the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. He recorded for Duke Reid, with backing from the Skatalites on tracks such as "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer", before returning to the UK, where he began working with Pama Records. He recorded hits such as "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which led to a wider recognition outside of Jamaica and the UK. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska, and later Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat,Hot Lead and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole". Aitken settled in Leicester with his wife in 1970. His output slowed in the 1970s and during this period he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in the area including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester under his real name Lorenzo. In 1980, with ska enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the 2 Tone movement, Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart with "Rudi Got Married" (#60) released on I-Spy Records (the label created and managed by Secret Affair. Aitken's career took in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall. He performed occasional concerts almost until his death from a heart attack in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007. Punk band Rancid cover's Aitken's Everybody Suffering on their 2014 LP Honor Is All We Know
Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927 - July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.
Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba, and is the brother of singer Bobby Aitken. He moved to England in the 1960s, and had a loyal following among Skinheads and other ska fans. He had massive hits in the 1950s through 1970s, while recording for Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided Boogie in My Bones / Little Sheila (1958). It was the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label.
Aitken, who is known as "The Godfather of Ska", made his home in Leicester UK and performed live almost until his death. He suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died. He died from a heart attack in Leicester, UK on July 17, 2005.
It's Too Late
Laurel Aitken Lyrics
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There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'.
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you.
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do.
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
There'll be good times again for me and you,
But we just can't stay together; don't you feel it too?
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it. (we can't make it)
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's too late baby, it's too late now darling
It's too late.
The lyrics of Laurel Aitken's song "It's Too Late" speaks about the end of a relationship. The singer describes staying in bed all morning just to pass the time, emphasizing that something is wrong and cannot be denied. The relationship has changed, or maybe the two people involved have just stopped trying. The song is about recognizing the end of the relationship, the feeling of having something valuable slipping away, but there is no way to bring it back.
The chorus of the song, "It's too late, baby now, it's too late, though we really did try to make it" highlights the inevitability of the end of the relationship. The poignancy of the song lies in the statement "something inside has died, and I can't hide, and I just can't fake it", which suggests that the two people involved have grown apart and cannot continue the relationship as they once did. The singer believes that there may be good times again for both but stresses that they cannot stay together, and maybe it's time to part ways.
The song is a melancholic tune, and the lyrics are a reflection of lost love, the disengagement of emotions, and the recognition that something valuable is slipping away that cannot be recaptured. It's a song that explores the emotions of sadness, grief, and letting go of something important in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Stayed in bed all mornin' just to pass the time.
I had nothing left to do but lay in bed all morning because of our relationship problems.
There's somethin' wrong here, there can be no denyin'.
It's obvious that there's a big issue in our relationship.
One of us is changin', or maybe we've just stopped tryin'.
Perhaps one of us has grown apart, but we could also just be giving up or losing effort in our relationship.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it.
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no.
We're past the point of no return, we put in effort to save what we had, but it feels like something important has died in our relationship and I can't pretend otherwise.
It used to be so easy, livin' here with you.
You were light and breezy, an' I knew just what to do.
Now you look so unhappy, and I feel like a fool.
It used to be effortless to be with you, and I always knew how to please you, but now you seem so unhappy, and I feel like an idiot for not being able to fix it.
There'll be good times again for me and you,
But we just can't stay together; don't you feel it too?
Still I'm glad for what we had and how I once loved you.
We may have good moments again, but it's clear that we can't continue with this relationship. I'm thankful for our past and how much I loved you then.
And it's too late, baby now, it's too late,
Though we really did try to make it. (we can't make it)
Somethin' inside has died, and I can't hide,
And I just can't fake it, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
We gave it our best try, but it's too late now. It's clear we can't work out our differences, and I cannot pretend otherwise.
It's too late baby, it's too late now darling
It's too late.
Just to reiterate, it's too late in our relationship now.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID JOHANSEN, JOHNNY THUNDERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind