1… Read Full Bio ↴Musical groups in three genres have shared the name The Four Aces.
1. The Aces, initially known as "The Four Aces" were a Jamaican vocal group who are best known for their work with Desmond Dekker, but who also recorded without him. The initial line-up of the Aces was Clive Campbell, Barry Howard, Carl Howard, and Patrick Howard. The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. The producer employed the group as backing singers for Dekker, recording many hits with him including "The King of Ska" (where they were credited as His Cherry Pies), "Get Up Adinah" (on which they were credited as the Four Aces"), huge hits such as "007 (Shanty Town)" and "Israelites", and the winner of the 1968 Festival Song Contest, "Music Like Dirt". By 1967 the only remaining original member was Barry Howard, along with Winston Samuels. Dekker's international success led to overseas tours, but the Aces were not taken along, Samuels refusing to fly, stating "Rastas did not fly on iron birds", and Barry Howard having already decided to emigrate to the United States. Instead they stayed in Jamaica and recorded without Dekker. They had a Jamaican hit in 1970 with "Mademoiselle Ninette", and by 1971 the line-up had again changed, with Barry now rejoined by Carl Howard. A string of hits followed with "Reggae Motion", "Take a Look", "Oh I Miss You", Call Me Number One", "Be My Baby", and "Sad Sad Song", and they had a near hit in the pop charts in 1973 with "Working on it Night and Day". Little more was heard from the group until 1982 when they released "One Way Street".
2. An American singing quartet which was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. The group is well-known for a plethora of hits, including: "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", " Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Shangri-La", "Perfidia". All of the group's major hits were first performed by the original four members: Al Alberts (originally Albertini), Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro. Although all were from Chester, Pennsylvania, Alberts and Mahoney actually met in the Navy. They formed a duo, with Alberts singing and Mahoney playing behind him. Later adding Vaccaro on trumpet and Silvestri on drums, the group played in the Philadelphia area. When they could not find a label which would release their record, "(It's No) Sin," Alberts started his own label, Victoria Records. "(It's No) Sin" sold a million copies! DECCA Records soon signed the group, billing them as The Four Aces Featuring Al Alberts. In 1956, Alberts left The Four Aces to try to make it as a soloist, but never made the charts. He was replaced as lead singer by Fred Diodati, another Philadelphia product. Over the years, as the remaining original members left, Diodati chose new singers to replace them. The right to "The Four Aces" name eventually landed in court. In 1975, Diodati was awarded the right to the name and continued to tour under it. The founding members, who again wanted to tour, were allowed to use the name, "The Original Four Aces, Featuring Al Alberts." The latter group retired in 1987. The Four Aces are still touring. (A link to their appearances is listed below.)
3. Cajun fiddler Leo Soileau was the second Cajun musician to record his works. This occurred in the late 1930s. The Four Aces was the name of his second string band (the first had been The Rhythm Boys). Soileau reitred from music in the 1940s with the demise of the string band sound.
Laughing On The Outside
The Four Aces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Carefree and romancing
Happy with my someone new
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
Cause I'm still in love with you
They see me night and daytime
They don't know what I go through
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
Cause I'm still in love with you
No one knows it's just a pose
Pretending I'm glad we're apart
And when I cry, my eyes are dry
The tears are in my heart
My darling, can't we make up?
Ever since our breakup
Make believe is all I do
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
Cause I'm still in love
I am still in love with you
The Four Aces's song "Laughing On The Outside" is a classic example of a bittersweet love song. The lyrics describe a person who has moved on from a relationship and is trying to show the world that they are happy and carefree on the outside, but on the inside, they are crying and still in love with their ex-partner. The first verse describes how the crowd sees the singer out dancing with someone new, and how they appear carefree and happy. However, the lyrics quickly reveal that this is not the case as the singer is laughing on the outside and crying on the inside because they are still in love with their ex-partner.
The second verse continues with the same sentiment, telling the listener that the singer is pretending to have a good time, but deep down, they are still dealing with the pain of the breakup. The chorus brings the song together, emphasizing the idea that the singer is in love with their ex-partner and is struggling to cope with the end of the relationship. The final lines of the song are a plea to their ex-partner, asking if they can make up and return to the way things were before.
Overall, "Laughing On The Outside" conveys a universal feeling of heartache that has resonated with listeners for decades. The song speaks to the idea that people often hide their pain behind a veneer of happiness, and how difficult it can be to move on from someone you once loved.
Line by Line Meaning
The crowd sees me out dancing
People only see me when I'm out having fun
Carefree and romancing
And they assume I've moved on
Happy with my someone new
But they don't know the truth
I'm laughing on the outside
I may seem like I'm fine
Crying on the inside
But deep down, I'm still hurting
Cause I'm still in love with you
And I can't seem to let go of our love
They see me night and daytime
Everyone thinks I'm okay
Having such a gay time
But they don't know my pain
They don't know what I go through
I'm keeping my sadness hidden
No one knows it's just a pose
Acting like it's all good
Pretending I'm glad we're apart
While really missing you so
And when I cry, my eyes are dry
Even tears can't express my heart
The tears are in my heart
I am hurting more than I show
My darling, can't we make up?
I wish we could start again
Ever since our breakup
I've been living a lie
Make believe is all I do
Trying to pretend I don't care
Cause I'm still in love with you
When really I can't let go
I am still in love with you
I am still in love with you
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ben Raleigh, Bernie Wayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliot's Oldies
The Four Aces did a nice job with this.