After My Laughter Came Tears
Here is a tune that could be played more often. It’s by Roy Turk (1892-1934), a successful songwriter who often collaborated with Fred Ahlert, who then was the composer. But in this case it seems that Turk did the music himself.
The lyrics tell the usual tale of unrequited love and a heart in pain and, in this specific case, how you try to hide it from the rest of the world:
I laughed the day I saw you leave,
I laughed and said I'd never grieve
But after my laughter came tears
I told my friends I didn't care,
I laughed about our whole affair,
But after my laughter came tears
My pride kept me from showing them that I was blue
But by myself you'll never know what I've been thru
My lips concealed a heart in pain,
I made believe, but all in vain
For after my laughter came tear