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
A hooker almost picked my pocket in the combat zone.
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OK
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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.
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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.
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I second that, it would be a fine trio!
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Like The Highlander, there can be only one (primadona in a musical group.) These 3 would be like the 3 tigers that ended up turning into butter.
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How’s that for a mixed metaphor 😉
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LOL…
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🙂
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Well…in a perfect world…
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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.
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Yes that is true…Billy’s music is not raw at all…it wouldn’t work for him as it would not work for Elton John as much.
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Always liked this one.
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Billy’s a train wreck on this tune but in saying that it’s one of the best hangover tunes ever!
Love Glass Houses!
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Glass Houses is a really good album – except the French song. Singles are two of the weaker songs IMO – it has great deep cuts like All For Leyna and Sleeping With the Television On.
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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.
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There’s a song called C’etait Toi which is mostly in French.
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You are right…I was thinking of the French in Don’t Ask Me Why…very small part.
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Don’t Ask Me Why is good – only Billy Joel song I can think of that’s based around acoustic guitar.
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A Matter of Trust is I believe… I like the melody of it.
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I like the fast pace of this song. One of his more energetic creations. Billy Joel was on a tremendous roll for a long time and loved every bit of it.
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Yea he was really hot through this time…this might be the peak but he took a long time to come down.
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That is, I loved every minute of it. I LOVE THIS VIDEO AND SONG:
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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.
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I started listening to Billy Joel many moons ago. I still enjoy many of his tunes, including this one.
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Love Billy Joel. His music always reminds me of riding around along the Puget Sound with my mom and listening to the radio when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing. Great nostalgia indeed.
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That is what the best music does…
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Awesome album.
I see the screw came loose, again…
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LOL
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SMDH. Hm.
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Anything from Glass Houses is gold and so is this one. I agree that it is probably his most rocking album and I think that is a good thing.
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That is a good thing…this album really got me into him a lot.
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