I Started A Joke Acoustic bass tab by Bee Gees

Tuning: Standard (E A D G)

Key: G

Difficulty: Intermediate

I STARTED A JOKE (Bassline)
As recorded by Bee Gees
(From the 1968 Album IDEA)

Words and Music by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb & Maurice Gibb
Transcribed by Slowhand

Gtr I (E A D G) - 'Maurice Gibb - Bass'

 Intro:
 Q=72
 4/4
  Gtr I
  H  Q S S S S  Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E Q S S S S  Q.  E Q.  E
G|---------7-5-4---|---------------|-----------7-5-4---|----------------|
D|---------------7-|-5-------------|-----------------7-|-5--------------|
A|-----------------|------5S2----2-|-3----3-5----------|------5S2----2--|
E|-----------------|---------------|-------------------|----------------|

            1st Verse:
  Q.  E Q S S S S  Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E Q +S S E  Q.  E H
G|-----------7-5-4---||---------------|-------------------|-------------|
D|-----------------7-||-5-------------|---------------2-4-|-5-----------|
A|-3----3-5----------||------5S2----2-|-3----3-5--(5)-----|------5S2----|
E|-------------------||---------------|-------------------|-------------|


  Q.  E Q S S E  H  Q.  E  Q.  E Q S S E  Q.  E Q.  E
G|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------0-2-4-|-5-----------|-----------0-2-4-|-5---------------|
A|-3----3-5--------|------2----2-|-3----3-5--------|------5S2----2---|
E|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|


            2nd & 3rd Verses:
  Q.  E Q S S S S   Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E Q +S S E  Q.  E H
G|-----------7-5-4---||----------------|-------------------|-------------|
D|-----------------7-||o-5-------------|--------0--(0)-2-4-|-5-----------|
A|-3----3-5----------||o------5S2----2-|-3----3------------|------5S2----|
E|-------------------||----------------|-------------------|-------------|


  Q.  E Q S S E  H  Q.  E  Q.  E Q S S E  E. S E. S E E E E
G|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|---------------------||
D|-----------0-2-4-|-5-----------|-----------0-2-4-|-5--5-5--5-5-5-5-5---||
A|-3----3-5--------|------2----2-|-3----3-5--------|---------------------||
E|-----------------|-------------|-----------------|---------------------||


 Bridge:
  Q.  E Q.  E  H  Q E E  Q.  E Q Q  Q.  E Q Q
G|-------------4-|-------------|--------------|--------------|
D|-2----2-2------|------4----4-|--------5-----|-5----5----5--|
A|---------------|-2-------2---|-3----3----3--|--------5-----|
E|---------------|-------------|--------------|--------------|


  Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E Q.  E  Q.  E H   H.   S S S S
G|---------------|---------------|-------------|---------7-5-4------||
D|---------------|---------------|-------------|---------------7---o||
A|---------------|-7----7-5----5-|-------------|-5-----------------o||
E|-7----7-7----7-|---------------|-5----5-5----|--------------------||


 4th Verse:
  Q.  E Q +S S S S  Q +S S S S Q S S E  Q.  E Q +S S S S
G|---------------4-----|--------5--------------|---------------4-----|
D|-5---------------4-0-|----------5------0-2-4-|-5---------------4---|
A|------5S2--(2)-------|-3--(3)-----3-5--------|------5S2--(2)-----5-|
E|---------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|


  Q +S S S S Q S S E  Q.  E Q +S S S S  Q +S S S S Q S S E
G|--------5--------------|---------------4-----|--------5---------------||
D|----------5------0-2-4-|-5---------------4---|----------5------0-2-4--||
A|-3--(3)-----3-5--------|------5S2--(2)-----5-|-3--(3)-----3-5---------||
E|-----------------------|---------------------|------------------------||


 Outro:
  Q.  E Q +S S S S  Q +S S S S Q S S E  Q.  E Q +S S S S
G|---------------4-----|--------5--------------|---------------4-----|
D|-5---------------4---|----------5------0-2-4-|-5---------------4---|
A|------5S2--(2)-----5-|-3--(3)-----3-5--------|------5S2--(2)-----5-|
E|---------------------|-----------------------|---------------------|


  Q +S S S S Q S S E  Q.  E Q +S S S S
G|--------5--------------|---------------4-----|
D|----------5------0-2-4-|-5---------------4---|
A|-3--(3)-----3-5--------|------5S2--(2)-----5-|
E|-----------------------|---------------------|


  Q +S S S S Q S S S S  W
G|--------5--------7-5-4---|------*|
D|----------5------------7-|-5----*|
A|-3--(3)-----3-5----------|------*|
E|-------------------------|------*|

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'd 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'd said

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

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Duration 🏷Legend

W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; a - acciaccatura;
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted;
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests.
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration).

| (n) - note tied to previous
|  S  - shift slide
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