I Started a Joke
Encyclopedia
"I Started a Joke" is a 1968 song by the Bee Gees
from their album Idea
, which was released in September of that year.
Curiously, it was not released as a single in the UK, where buyers who could not afford the album had to content themselves with a Polydor version by Heath Hampstead.
. "I Started A Joke" is supposedly about someone who has done or said something horribly
wrong, which results in feelings of social alienation
. Another interpretation is that the song is sung from the point of view of the devil. Prior to performing the song onstage, Barry Gibb
remarks that one interpretation of the song is regarding the devil.
originally covered "I Started a Joke" as a bonus track
on some versions of their fifth studio album King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
but following the band's dissolution in 1998 it was released as their final single with their greatest hits album Who Cares a Lot?
and Shaun Dingwall
both feature in the promo, along with performance artist David Hoyle as the karaoke singer.
Disc two
Live tracks recorded on 21 October 1997 at the Horden Pavilion, Sydney, Australia by MTV Australia.
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
from their album Idea
Idea (album)
Idea is the Bee Gees' fifth studio album, and their third international release on the ATCO label in the US and Polydor in the UK. Released in August, 1968, the album sold over a million copies worldwide. This album features "Such a Shame", the only Bee Gees song where lead vocals aren't sung by a...
, which was released in September of that year.
Curiously, it was not released as a single in the UK, where buyers who could not afford the album had to content themselves with a Polydor version by Heath Hampstead.
Composition
The song is mainly written and sung by Robin GibbRobin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
. "I Started A Joke" is supposedly about someone who has done or said something horribly
wrong, which results in feelings of social alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
. Another interpretation is that the song is sung from the point of view of the devil. Prior to performing the song onstage, Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
remarks that one interpretation of the song is regarding the devil.
Content
According to Robin Gibb, the melancholic melody of the song was inspired by the sounds on board an aeroplane:Chart performance
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 16 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
Parodies, appearances in other media, etc.
- The song was parodied by a Radio Free Vestibule sketch in which a voiced-over commentary takes the lyrics completely literally.
- The song appeared in the film ZoolanderZoolanderZoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
as covered by The WallflowersThe WallflowersThe Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
. - The song is featured heavily in the ending of the film Penn & Teller Get KilledPenn & Teller Get KilledPenn & Teller Get Killed is a 1989 dark comedy film directed by Arthur Penn starring magicians Penn & Teller. The duo play themselves, and the plot involves them in a satirical account of what the audience would perhaps imagine the pair doing in their daily lives...
, which features the two magicians playing a succession of increasingly elaborate practical jokes on each other with a fatal conclusion. - The song was recited in The FighterThe FighterThe Fighter is a 2010 biographical sports drama film directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. The film centers on the life of professional boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund . The film also stars Amy Adams as...
, when Dickie Eklund (Christian BaleChristian BaleChristian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
) sings to his mother Alice (Melissa LeoMelissa LeoMelissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
) after attempting to run away because of his crack addiction.
Faith No More cover
Faith No MoreFaith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
originally covered "I Started a Joke" as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on some versions of their fifth studio album King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime is the fifth studio album by Faith No More, released in 1995. It was their first album recorded without longtime guitarist Jim Martin. The album showcased a greater variety than the band's usual heavy metal leanings, with Rolling Stone calling the end result a...
but following the band's dissolution in 1998 it was released as their final single with their greatest hits album Who Cares a Lot?
Music video
The music video for it was filmed on 8 September 1998, after Faith No More had split up, and featured none of the band members except for Mike Patton in a brief cameo as "Michael from Barnsley". It was directed by Vito Rocco, filmed by Nick Sawyer with make-up by Julie Nightingale and Dani Richardson and had Gabi Norland as the clapper-loader. British actors Martin FreemanMartin Freeman
Martin John C. Freeman is an English actor. He is known for his roles as John in Love Actually, Tim Canterbury in the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. John Watson in Sherlock and Mr. Madden...
and Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall is a British actor and is known for his roles on British television.-Early life:Shaun Dingwall was born in 1972 and attended Ilford County High School for boys. His initial ambition was to become a photographer and for several years he worked as an assistant photographer within the...
both feature in the promo, along with performance artist David Hoyle as the karaoke singer.
Track listing
Disc one- "I Started a Joke" – 3:03
- "The World Is YoursThe World Is Yours (Faith No More song)"The World Is Yours" is an outtake from Angel Dust by Faith No More. The song was included on the Who Cares A Lot? bonus disc and on the re-release single of "I Started a Joke" in 1998....
" – 5:52 - "Midnight CowboyMidnight CowboyMidnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. It was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman and newcomer Jon Voight in the title role. Notable smaller roles are filled by Sylvia Miles, John...
" (Live) – 1:01
Disc two
- "I Started a Joke" – 3:03
- "This Guy's in Love with YouThis Guy's in Love with You"This Guy's in Love with You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and recorded by Herb Alpert. Although known primarily for his trumpet playing as the leader of the Tijuana Brass, Alpert sang lead vocals on this solo recording, arranged by Bacharach.The recording's origin occurs, as...
" (Live) – 4:20 - "We Care a LotWe Care a Lot (song)- Covers :* Chuck Mosley covered the song under the title "We Care a Lot" in his solo project, and released it on his album Will Rap Over Hard Rock for Food. The lyrics are different in the verses, however the chorus remains the same. The song is longer than the original and the first part of the...
" (Live) – 3:55
Live tracks recorded on 21 October 1997 at the Horden Pavilion, Sydney, Australia by MTV Australia.
Charts
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
49 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
58 |
| New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... RIANZ Charts |
38 |
Other cover versions
- Brazilian singer Ronnie VonRonnie VonRonaldo Lindenberg von Schilgem Cintra Nogueira , known by his artistic name Ronnie Von, is a Brazilian singer and television show host. He became known in the sixties associated with the Jovem Guarda...
had a Portuguese version, called Comecei uma Brincadeira and translated by himself, on his psychedelic-rockPsychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
-album "A misteriosa Luta do Reino de Parassempre contra o Império de Nuncamais" from 1969. - Between 1972 and 1974, this song was covered by SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-based female singer Ervinna, backing music by The Stylers, on her LP album Top Hits with the local White Cloud Record. - Skibby did a reggaeReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
cover which has been released as part of the sampler CD set "It's Reggae" in 1996. - In 1998 it was covered by Robbie WilliamsRobbie WilliamsRobert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
with The OrbThe OrbThroughout 1989, the Orb, along with Martin Glover, developed the musical genre of ambient house through the use of a diverse array of samples and recordings. The culmination of its musical work came toward the end of the year when the group recorded a session for John Peel on BBC Radio 1...
(for a Bee Gees tribute album). - In 2001, a cover by The WallflowersThe WallflowersThe Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
was featured in the ZoolanderZoolanderZoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...
movie soundtrack. - Shannon WrightShannon WrightShannon Wright is an American singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia.-History:Wright moved from New York City to Chapel Hill, NC after her first band Crowsdell called it quits. While in Chapel Hill, Wright started experimenting and writing solo songs with a borrowed four-track recorder...
covered the song on Perishable Goods EP released in 2001. - Richie HavensRichie HavensRichard P. "Richie" Havens is an African American folk singer and guitarist. He is best known for his intense, rhythmic guitar style , soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival.-Career:Born in Brooklyn, Havens was the eldest of nine children...
, Tim RoseTim RoseTimothy Alan Patrick Rose , best known professionally as Tim Rose, was an American singer-songwriter, who spent much of his life in London, England and had more success in Europe than in his native country...
, The CascadesThe CascadesThe Cascades were an American vocal group best known for their single "Rhythm of the Rain", recorded in 1962 and an international hit the following year.-Career:...
, The Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
, The DirtbombsThe DirtbombsThe Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
, Vonda ShepardVonda ShepardVonda Shepard is an American pop/rock singer. She appeared as a regular in the television show Ally McBeal from seasons 1-5 in which she played a resident performer at the bar where the show's characters drank after work. She plays piano, guitar, and bass.-Biography:Vonda Shepard was born in New...
, indie pop bands The LucksmithsThe LucksmithsThe Lucksmiths were an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia known for witty, intelligent lyrics, a strong melodic sense and a jangly pop sound harkening back to early-80's bands such as The Smiths and The Go-Betweens.-History:...
and LowLow (band)Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
, British singers LuluLulu (singer)Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Kathryn WilliamsKathryn WilliamsKathryn Williams is an English singer-songwriter.-Background:Williams was born in Liverpool, and now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne after earning an art degree in the city. Williams released her first album, Dog Leap Stairs on her own Caw Records label in 1999 with a budget of £80...
have also recorded covers of the song. - LowLow (band)Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
covered the song with Mimi Parker on vocals and released it in the A Lifetime of Temporary Relief boxset - There are several instrumental versions with Francis GoyaFrancis GoyaFrancis Goya is a Belgian guitarist born in Liege.Weyer first played with Patrick Ruymen in the group Les Caraïbes, a Belgian cover group. The two then formed the rock group Liberty Six in 1965, which had a proto-psychedelic stage show and released only one single before disbanding. Weyer then...
on guitar in his album Romantic Guitar and James GalwayJames Galway- External links : IMGArtists.com 15 September 2008. AllAboutJazz.com 5 August 2008.*...
on fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
in his 1988 Greatest Hits album. - VentriloquistVentriloquismVentriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
Terry FatorTerry FatorTerry Wayne Fator is a ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian, and singer from Dallas, Texas. Fator is capable of doing over 100 ventriloquial impersonations, and uses 16 different puppets in his act. He was the winner of Season 2 of America's Got Talent, and received the million dollar prize...
sometimes performs an excerpt as part of his live show, generally following Stayin' AliveStayin' Alive"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever... - Angela ChangAngela ChangAngela Chang was born on 19 January 1982. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer and actress. She has been nominated twice for Best Leading Actress in a Television Series at the Golden Bell Awards, Taiwan.-Biography:...
, a popular Taiwanese singer, sang a cover of the song in her sixth studio album. - Comedian Neil HamburgerNeil HamburgerNeil Hamburger is a standup comedian character played by comedian and musician Gregg Turkington.-Style:Hamburger's live act, which is quite different from his many albums, features a barrage of question/answer jokes aimed often at celebrity targets, including Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, The Red...
released a 7" single of his country-western version of the song, backed by Nashville guitarist Dave Gleason and members of The TubesThe TubesThe Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
. - Micheal CastaldoMicheal CastaldoMichéal Castaldo is an Italian-born Canadian, and now a New York City resident classical crossover tenor, music producer and composer.-Early life and musical career:...
recorded an italian version of the song on his 2010 album Aceto.