Billy Joel – You May Be Right

You May Be Right was released on the Glass Houses album in 1980. I liked this song…it was more of a rock song from Joel.

Glass Houses was more of a rock album than his previous albums. He did that on purpose because he wanted something different than his previous albums The Stranger and 52 Street.

The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, #1 in Canada, #9 in the UK and #6 in New Zealand.

This is the opening track to Billy Joel’s album Glass Houses. Right before the song, there is the sound of shattered glass, to match the cover picture of Joel throwing a rock into the window of an all-glass house…it was a parody of the saying “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” This was Joel’s statement to his critics.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: “It may not be punk — then again, it may be his concept of punk — but Glass Houses is the closest Joel ever got to a pure rock album.”

You May Be Right was the first single released from Glass Houses…The song peaked at #7 in the Billboard 100, #6 in Canada, and #23 in New Zealand in 1980.

Billy Joel: “I could have come out with a record that would have guaranteed a certain amount of sales – just by repeating either The Stranger album or the 52nd Street album, by doing something similar,” Frankly, I would have been bored to do that. I would have been a dead duck, career-wise. You have to discard an audience to pick up another one.”

“It’s a definite temptation to repeat a successful formula. But I have never done the same thing twice. I don’t care what anybody says,”  “After Stranger, I could have done Son of Stranger, but I’ve never done that. To keep me interested, there always has to be something new, something different.”

From Songfacts

In this song, Joel takes the persona of a guy who is told he is reckless. Joel confirms the suspicion, admitting that he is crazy and extolling the virtues of a more carefree, but dangerous existence.

This was used as the theme song to the TV show Dave’s World, which ran from 1993-1997 on CBS. Like Joel’s “My Life,” Billy didn’t sing the version used on the show. The version of “You May Be Right” on Dave’s World was sung by Southside Johnny.

The Chipmunks covered this song on their 1980 album Chipmunk Punk. Joel says he thought it was great.

Joel tends to prefer his more obscure songs over his hits, but “You May Be Right” is one of his favorites. Speaking with Stephen Colbert in 2017, he listed it as one of his Top 5.

In The Office episode “WUPHF.com” (2010), Michael sings this after Pam tells him Ryan is taking advantage of him. It was also used on Glee (“Movin’ Out” – 2013) and in the movies Girl Most Likely and The Edge Of Seventeen (2016).

You May Be Right

Friday night I crashed your party
Saturday I said I’m sorry
Sunday came and trashed me out again
I was only having fun
Wasn’t hurting any one
And we all enjoyed the weekend for a change

I’ve been stranded in the combat zone
I walked through Bedford Stuy alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rain
And you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I’m insane

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for
Turn out the light
Don’t try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

Remember how I found you there
Alone in your electric chair
I told you dirty jokes until you smiled
You were lonely for a man
I said take me as I am
‘Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while

Now think of all the years you tried to
Find someone to satisfy you
I might be as crazy as you say
If I’m crazy then it’s true
That it’s all because of you
And you wouldn’t want me any other way

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for
It’s too late to fight
It’s too late to change me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right

You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just may be a lunatic you’re looking for
Turn out the light
Don’t try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
You may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right
You may be wrong but you may be right

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

32 thoughts on “Billy Joel – You May Be Right”

  2. I’m a big Billy Joel fan. I like just about all of his stuff–rock, pop, doo wop, crooner–all of it. I always felt like he and Paul McCartney and Paul Simon would make a great trio. Their music sensibilities are very complimentary.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I dont’ know if I told you before but the first time I heard “Don’t Ask Me Why” I called the radio station and requested that “Paul McCartney song…called Don’t Ask Me”…

      That would be a great trio.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Great song, whole album was good. Like you say, (and others) it was more rock than much of Billy’s and I often think his forte is more upbeat pop, rather than real ‘rock n roll’ but it worked well on this one.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Oh you mean Don’t Ask Me My. I would have sworn that was Paul McCartney…the melody is not bad but yea…the rest of it…I don’t like as much.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. It’s been years since I saw this. I remember when I did…the first thing I noticed was “Does Billy play guitar also?”
      I thought it was really cool.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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