I Started a Joke

The melody of I Started a Joke came about in a rather peculiar way. During a flight on a British Airways propeller plane, a few hundred kilometers from Essen, the constant drone of the engine began to transform into a melody, almost like a church choir. This unexpected inspiration led Robin Gibb, with the help of Barry and Maurice on the bridge, to compose this piece. The recording of the songs for the album Idea was completed on June 20th, and I Started a Joke was the last to be recorded at London's IBC studios. The producer was Robert Stigwood, along with the Bee Gees themselves.

This track, released as a single in the United States in December 1968 under the Atco label, marked Vince Melouney's last guitar contribution before leaving the band. In the United Kingdom, however, it was not released as a single but was included on the album Idea, released in August of the same year. The B-side varied by country: in France, Swan Song was included, while elsewhere it was Kilburn Towers. The song reached number one on the charts in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The promotional video, filmed in Brussels for the Idea TV Special, was directed by Christophe Averty and features visual elements such as floating question marks.

The interpretation of the lyrics has led to various readings, from the perspective of someone who has made a serious mistake and feels alienated, to the view that the song could be sung from the devil's point of view, an interpretation that Barry Gibb has mentioned. The song was later covered by Faith No More in 1995, appearing as the B-side to their single Digging the Grave and on some editions of their album King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime.