I Started A Joke - Lyrics and Aftermath

Lyrics and Aftermath

A beautiful ascending chord progression played by a blend of acoustic six, 12-strings, and electric guitars lays the basis for one of the group's achingly memorable melodies. Light orchestration, arranged by Bill Shepherd, enters for a truly Baroque-folk feel in line with era, the tail end of the British Invasion. Such rawness is accepted, cherished even, on, say, Bob Dylan recordings. I started a joke sings Robin in his fluttering voice. Which started the whole world crying, But I didn't see, That the joke was on me, I started to cry which started the whole world laughing, Oh If I'd only seen that the joke was on me The sentiment reeks of melodramatic, sophomoric teenage self-pity, which is precisely the audience that bought up so many copies of the record. But there are some real laughable clunkers here, such as "I looked at the skies running my hands over my eyes/And I fell out of bed hurting my head from things that I said." Lines like Then I finally died/Which started the whole world living suggest some sort of Christ metaphor, though it seems so vague.

Robin Gibb's son played "I Started a Joke" just after his father died from kidney failure on May 20, 2012. Robin-John Gibb told The Sun:

When he passed away we went out, they took the equipment away and we came back in, i picked up my phone and found "I Started a Joke" on YouTube and played it. I put the phone on his chest and that was the first time I broke down. I knew that song and its lyrics were perfect for that moment. That song will always have new meaning to me now.