I started a joke which started the whole world crying/
But I didn’t see that the joke was on me.

The Bee Gees “I Started A Joke” is a very beautiful song with a nice melody and the typical Bee Gees harmonies. The lead singer is Robin, who has a pretty distinctive voice. So, who is this guy/gal who started a joke?

What is “The Joke”? It is irrelevant, but it is something that hurts another person. The narrator blurted something out and it ended up ruining his world. It wasn’t so funny when the ramifications of his actions came back on him and he lost the people in his life.

There are various readings that believe this has religious overtones. That is possible, we just don’t know enough to say for sure. Overall, the narrator expresses a sense of disappointment with his younger self, and feels that he got his comeuppance.

I Started A Joke Lyrics

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 said
‘Till 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 said
‘Till I finally died which started the whole world living
Oh if I’d only seen that the joke was on me
Oh no that the joke was on me

written by The Bee Gees