Aretha Franklin

Released: August 12, 1963

Songwriter: Ben Raleigh Bernie Wayne

Producer: Robert Mersey

[Verse 1]
The crowd sees me out dancing
Carefree and romancing
Oh, I'm happy with my someone new

[Chorus]
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you

[Verse 2]
They see me night and daytime
Oh, I'm having such a gay time
But they don't know what I go through

[Chorus]
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you

[Bridge]
No one knows it's just a pose
Pretending I'm glad we're apart
And when I cry, my eyes are dry
All of the tears are in my heart

[Verse 3]
So, darling, can't we make up?
Ever, ever since our breakup
Make believe is all I do

[Chorus]
I'm laughing on the outside
Crying on the inside
'Cause I'm still in love with you

[Outro]
Mhm, I'm still laughing on the outside
But every day I'm crying on the inside
Because I'm still, still in love with you

Aretha Franklin is both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known simply by her first Aretha. She is the reigning and undisputed “Queen Of Soul” with a legacy that spans five decades. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Aretha began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at the age of 18, Aretha embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records with modest success.

After moving to Atlantic Records in 1967, she released a steady string of US top ten hits through 1973 including “Spanish Harlem”, “Chain Of Fools”, “Baby I Love You”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Daydreaming”, “The House That Jack Built”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", ”Think“ and her first chart-topper “Respect” – a song that also won Aretha her first of 18 Grammys. During this time, several of her songs were also successful overseas.

By the mid-70s, Aretha’s commercial success waned and she left Atlantic for Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980. Her 1982 song “Jump to It,” returned her to the top 40 for the first time in six years. 1985’s Who’s Zoomin' Who? got her back into the top 10 twice with its title track and “Freeway Of Love”. Four more songs reached the top 40 through 1986.

more tracks from the album

Laughing on the Outside

From the albums

Laughing on the Outside (1963)
Aretha Sings The Blues (1980)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Laughing on the Outside (Crying on the Inside)Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Laughing on the Outside