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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