I Started a Joke - Robin Gibb (Bee Gees)

[kidd]

I Started a Joke

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,
but I didn't see that the joke was on me, oh no.

I started to cry, which started the whole world laughing,
oh, if I'd only seen that the joke was on me.

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes,
and I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I'd said.

Til I finally died, which started the whole world living,
oh, if I'd only seen that the joke was on me.

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes,
and I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I'd said.

'Til I finally died, which started the whole world living,
oh, if I'd only seen that the joke was one me.

Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRNTQvXSsfA
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Started_a_Joke
Songfact: http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=5387

[kidd]

This is my favourite song of Bee Gees. Robin Gibbs sang it beautiful and I was also fascinated by the lyrics. When I was younger I tried to figure out what the lyrics mean, what joke he played and why it's so serious that people rejoice when he died. To my young mind, I couldn't figure out what he did that would make people started laughing when he cried and started living when he died. But, the song made me very sad.

Today, I sang this song again and when I reach the part 'Til I finally died, which started the whole world living', I suddenly thought of Hitler. This thought never came to my mind back then. I guess I was too young to figure out such darkness.

What about you? When you read the lyrics, what thought came to you? What does the lyrics mean?

[xJadedx]

Faith No More covered the song and it was a great cover.

[mawguy]

one of my all-time favourites too! and like you, i've alway thought it was associated with types of hatred or cruelty, like war or racism or inequality, any situation where someone or a small group of someones try to harm others for personal gain.

[Patty Liu]

Great song!

[jay_z]

The live version is awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSxuvNGSrmc