How Long Is The Original Recording Of Lirik I Started A Joke?

I've spent too many late nights poring over old vinyl and playlists, and one little detail always pops up when we talk about 'I Started a Joke' — the original studio cut by the Bee Gees clocks in at roughly 3 minutes and 5 seconds (about 3:05) on most classic releases. That’s the running time you’ll see on many single pressings and on a lot of streaming services that use the original 1968 master from the album 'Idea'. It’s concise and heartbreakingly effective: under three and a half minutes but it leaves this giant hangover of melody and melancholy that lingers long after it stops.

If you get picky about exact seconds, different pressings and reissues sometimes list slightly different runtimes — 3:04, 3:06, or occasionally 3:08 — usually because of differences in the silence at the start or end, or because of a remaster that trims or stretches fade-outs. Mono versus stereo mixes can also produce tiny timing differences. So if you're comparing a 1968 UK single, a US promo, and a modern remaster on your streaming app, don’t be surprised to see a second or two of variance. For the purist, check the matrix numbers on the vinyl or the metadata on a lossless rip; for casual listening, the 3:05 figure is a reliable shorthand.

I still get a little thrill when that last line hits and the instruments quiet — it’s one of those songs where every second counts. If you’re tracking different versions for a playlist, I’d suggest grabbing the vinyl-mastered remaster if you want warmth, or the original single pressing if you want the exact historical cut; both will be right around that three-minute mark, and both are lovely in their own way.

I like to keep things simple when I’m answering quick music questions: the original Bee Gees studio recording of 'I Started a Joke' is about 3 minutes and 5 seconds long. Streaming platforms and CD compilations often show that same length, though you might find tiny differences (a second or two) depending on the release or remaster.

Once, while compiling a nostalgia playlist, I noticed one version listed as 3:04 and another as 3:07 — it was just the fade-in/fade-out and the mastering differences. So if you need a number for a playlist or a radio cue, use 3:05 and you’ll be safe. If you want the precise second, check the specific edition’s metadata or the label info on the record sleeve, because that’s where those small variations show up.