You May Be Right by Billy Joel

Album: Glass Houses (1980)

Charted: 7

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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 is the opening track to Billy Joel's album Glass Houses. Before the song starts, 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, a parody of the saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." This was Joel's statement to his critics. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Ken - Louisville, KY
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).
The glass house featured on the cover was Joel's own home in Cove Neck on Long Island. That explains why he didn't actually throw the rock!
Going into the album, Joel wanted to write a lot of rock songs that would sound great live because he was headlining a lot of arena shows with raucous crowds. He told Sirius XM in 2016 that it was the most fun he'd had recording an album up to that point.
This was used in the movies The Edge Of Seventeen (2016) and Girl Most Likely (2012).
According to producer Phil Ramone, it took a lot of effort to achieve the shattered-glass effect. "We didn't want a typical glass-break effect," he explained in his 2007 book, Making Records: The Scenes Behind The Music. "We wanted the kind of sound that comes when a large plate glass window breaks, and there's a split-second delay between the crack and the entire sheet crumbling to the ground."

They placed sheets of glass on cinder blocks and smashed them with various types of hammers but none of them produced the right sound. Ramone was about to toss a few five-gallon jugs of drinking water down a stairwell - something he'd seen an engineer do to get a glass-breaking effect - when another engineer told him what the problem was: The glass was too thin. To achieve a bloodcurdling shatter, he needed to suspend panes of glass that were more than a quarter-inch thick.

"The following day I ordered the right glass," Ramone recalled. "When it was delivered, I placed a piece over two wooden horses and smashed it from above. I miked the hell out of it; there were microphones all over the studio - above, below, to the right and left sides, far and near. It took nearly thirty sheets of glass, and the best-sounding take came on the last piece, with one crack of the hammer.

The time and expense was worth it: The harrowing glass-break we captured gave Glass Houses the pluperfect kickoff it deserves."
Billy Joel closed out the Grammy Awards in 2024 by performing "You May Be Right." Earlier in the ceremony, he played "Turn The Lights Back On," the first single he released since 1993.

Comments: 19

Randy W from OhioI bought a 1967 camaro in 1979 and I installed a cassette player and bought this cassette in 1980 and put it in the cassette player and I had it cranked and backed out of the drive thinking about a big tree that was across the alley and as I pressed the brake I heard the sound of shattering glass which scared the you know what out of me as I thought I had hit the tree. When I realized it was on the recording and I didn’t hit the tree I had s good laugh. I rewinded it to hear it again.
Steve from NjThe line about walking through the predominantly black Brooklyn neighborhood alone sounds like accidental racism, and the guitar line actually rips off Buffalo Springfield's "Rock and Roll Woman." And in trying to sound like Mick Jagger, Joel sounds more like Paul McCartney trying to sound like Mick Jagger ("Back In the U.S.S.R", Why Don't We Do It In the Road?").
Jack Flash from TorontoNorm Carr, I agree 100% with your comment. I've always thought "You May Be Right" had that Stones sound. Would love to see Jagger and Billy Joel on stage singing this song.
Pearson from Georgia My dad had this album when he was 15 in 1981 and this is a cool song Billy Joel is great. he is great at piano
He rode his motorcycle in the rain
That sounds dangerous
But the song’s about
A girl he likes thinks he’s crazy for doing all those things but he’s saying maybe you’re right maybe you’re wrong
Norm Carr from SarniaHis best song. I can’t get enough of hearing. A great song for playing drums with it, even for beginners. It has a Rolling Stones flavour right down to the tempo and a great saxophone in the bridge
Ed from Bedford, VaTo Susan from Atlanta, Georgia. I agree with you. I always thought Billy Joel was doing a Mick Jagger imitation in “You May Be Right”. Just like he imitated Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons in “Uptown Girl“.
Jon Daley from Hicksville Ny Fact .. he was reckless and crazy as a youngster .. I know a few neighbors of his growing up ... he never graduated hicksville high I wonder why .. I heard many stories some I cant say in public but all true
Susan from Atlanta, GeorgiaTo Allison from Allentown, Pa:
Funny you should mention it. I've always known this was Billy Joel, but this morning, hearing it on the way in to work, I was blown away by how much he sounded like Mick Jagger in this song, which I had never noticed before. I came here specifically to see if anyone else had ever noticed it.
Tania from Brisbane, AustraliaGarth Brooks used to do a version of this in his concerts during the early 1990’s (at least), it’s WELL worth the listen!
Jim from London, OnAllison, I never thought of it 'til you suggested it, but this song DOES have a Rolling Stones flavour.
Allison from Allentown, PaDoes anybody else thing that this song sounds like the Rolling Stones? I seriously thought that they sang it up until a few days ago when I found this song on my dad's iTunes...
Drew from B\'ham, AlI personally believe most people in the world have a lunatic side & just have a time of wanting to burst it out of its shell and let it flow freestyle! LOL. I, for one, call that "adventurous". Do I have any witnesses?
Val from Des Moines, Iai love billy joel songs
Lolo Brown from Gertrude, Bahamasi efffing love this song sooooo much! my favorite line is " but it just may be a luuuunatic you're looking for!" ahaha story of my life...i swear! lol i looove this song sooo much!
Ken from Louisville, KyThis was one of the first songs Joel did in concert where he didn't play keyboards. He copied Roger Daltry and Robert Plant by using the mic stand as a prop when he sang this live.
Ken from Louisville, KyIn the 1950's and 1960's, Brooklyn's "Bedford-Sty" (Bedford and Suyvesiant Streets) neighborhood was considered the most dangerous in the U.S. Hence the line "I walked through Bedford-Sty alone".
Beth from Pittsburgh, PaI never get tired of hearing this song.
Mike from Hueytown , Al" Turn out the lights , don't try to save me " hahahaha
Mark from Jonesboro, ArI seem to remember Billy Joel saying in an interview that the glass house pictured on the album cover was actually his own house.

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