"Honesty" is a song by American singer and songwriter

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

released the song as the third single from his sixth studio album ''

52nd Street 52nd Street is a -long one-way street traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan, New York City. A short section of it was known as the city's center of jazz performance from the 1930s to the 1950s. Jazz center Following the repeal of ...

'' (1978) in 1979. "Honesty" was solely written by Joel, while production was handled by

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business ...

. The song appears on the Dutch and Japanese editions of '' Greatest Hits Volume 2'', replacing " Don't Ask Me Why" (1980). The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised its lyrics and piano instrumentation. It also received comparisons to other songs by Joel. "Honesty" peaked at number 24 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming the album's third consecutive top 40 hit. It went to Number 1 in France and has also been certified gold by

Recording Industry Association of Japan The is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved in the music industry. It was founded in 1942 as the Japan Phonogram Record Cultural Association, and adopted its current name in 1969. The RIAJ's activities include pr ...

for

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sales of over 100,000 units. Joel performed the song live several times with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and later with

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...

. "Honesty" has been covered and sampled by various artists, including by American R&B recording artist,

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

Background and composition

"Honesty" was solely written by Billy Joel while production was handled by Phil Ramone. It is the second song from his sixth studio album ''

'' (1978). The song was also included on South Korean and Japanese edition of Joel's 1985 compilation ''Greatest Hits Volume 2'' as one of the

bonus track An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

s. The song wasn't included on any of Joel's US released compilation packages; however, it appears on the Dutch edition as well as the aforementioned Japanese edition of '' Greatest Hits Volume 2'', instead of " Don't Ask Me Why" (1980).Sources for the Dutch and Japanese editions of '' Greatest Hits Volume 2'': * * *

David Spinozza David Spinozza is an American guitarist and producer. He worked with former Beatles Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Lennon during the 1970s, and had a long collaboration with singer-songwriter James Taylor, producing Taylor's album '' Walkin ...

plays the acoustic guitar in the song,

Liberty DeVitto Liberatori "Liberty" DeVitto (born August 8, 1950) is an American rock drummer. He is best known for his work as a drummer for New York singer-songwriter Billy Joel's recording and touring band. He has also been a session drummer on recordings of ...

plays the

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

and Robert Freedman the horn and string

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

. "Honesty" is a

piano ballad A ballade (from French '' ballade'', , and German ''Ballade'', , both being words for "ballad"), in classical music since the late 18th century, refers to a setting of a literary ballad, a narrative poem, in the musical tradition of the , or to a o ...

with

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

embellishments. It opens with "sad and tender"

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

chords. According to Ken Bielen in his book ''The Words and Music of Billy Joel'', Liberty DeVitto's drums and cymbal crashes, remind listeners that "the track is a predecessor of the

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. ...

s of the 1980s and 1990s". It talks about the inherent lack of honesty even in the closest of relationships. In the song Joel sings the lines "Honesty is such a lonely word". Joel further sings about wearing his heart on his sleeve in "Honesty". According to Chuck Klosterman of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', " he songimplies that the only way you can tell that someone really cares about you is if they tell you you're bad." "

Leningrad Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

" (1989), a song from Joel's eleventh studio album '' Storm Front'', has been compared to "Honesty". According to the sheet music published on the website Musicnotes.com by

Faber Music Faber Music is a British sheet music publisher best known for contemporary classical music. It also publishes music tutor books, and in 2005 acquired popular music publisher International Music Publications. Faber Music has close relations to ...

, "Honesty" is a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

and

classical rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Initi ...

song written in the key of B♭ major. The song is set in common time and performed in a slow tempo of 80 beats per minute. Joel vocals range from the note of B_b2 to B_b4.

Reception

While reviewing ''52nd Street''

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, oc ...

of the website

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

noted that "Honesty" was one of Joel's best songs. Timothy White of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' magazine called the song a pensive pop hit. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' called it "a provocative and melodic ballad full of words and meanings" with "emphatic" piano chording and drumming and said that "background strings sweeten the emotion." A writer of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' felt that "The sweet music of 'Honesty' is sabotaged by trite lyrics". '' The Phoenix''s Michael Lawson noted that the song was "well suited for middle-of-the-road tastes". According to Ken Bielen, "'Honesty' is a plea for truth, not only in romantic relationships but also from the politicians who affect our lives." Adam Graham of

MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...

described the song as a "big ballad". The song was nominated in the category for Song of the Year at the

22nd Grammy Awards The 22nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 1980, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1979. This year was notable for being the ...

held on February 27, 1980. "Honesty" peaked at number 16 on the Canadian Singles Chart. On July 28, 1979, the song debuted at number 31 on the Dutch Top 40 which later become its peak position. The next week, the song fell seven positions placing at number thirty eight. However, on August 11, 1979, "Honesty" charted at number 35 before falling out of the chart the next week. In New Zealand, "Honesty" debuted at number 47, on June 10, 1979, and later peaked at number 38. After its peak position, the song fell out of the chart. On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in the US, the song peaked at number 24. In May 2009, Joel's version was certified gold by

for

sales of over 100,000 units. It saw its greatest chart peak in France, going all the way to Number 1, spending eight weeks in that position. It ranked as the 10th biggest French hit of the 1970s, and as of 2018, the 90th biggest French hit of all time.

Live performances

Joel performed the song with

Giants Stadium Giants Stadium (sometimes referred to as Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands or The Swamp) was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and it primarily hosted spo ...

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.

in July 1994. First, they sang "

Your Song "Your Song" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single. "Your Song" was first released by American rock band Three Dog Night in M ...

" (1970) by John and after that they performed "Honesty" while playing on the piano. "Honesty" was also performed by John and Joel on March 29, 1995, in

SkyDome Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. The same routine was performed in May 1998 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. On July 31, 2006, Joel performed the song at a free concert, at the Colosseum, Rome, Italy.

Versions

There are two video versions; one that uses the album track and another that uses a version slightly different from the album track. Both versions are identical until the last verse (3:20) which uses different vocals (This version is not available on The Essential Video Collection).

Personnel

Credits for "Honesty" adapted from ''52nd Street'' liner notes. * Billy Joel – writing, vocals, acoustic piano *

– acoustic guitar *

Doug Stegmeyer Douglas Alan Stegmeyer (December 23, 1951 – August 25, 1995) was an American musician who was best known as the bassist and back-up vocalist for Billy Joel. Stegmeyer also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates. Biography ...

– bass guitar *

– drums * Robert Freedman – horn and string orchestrations *

– producer

Track listing

*US single #"Honesty" – 3:53 #"The Mexican Connection" – 3:38 *Dutch single/CBS 7150 #"Honesty" – 3:53 #"

Root Beer Rag "Root Beer Rag" is a composition from Billy Joel's 1974 album ''Streetlife Serenade''. An instrumental track in a very fast ragtime style, it was later released as the B-side of several singles from Joel's ''52nd Street'' album, including " Big Sh ...

" – 2:59 *CBS single #"Honesty" #"My Life"

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Beyoncé version

In 2008, American recording artist,

re-recorded Billy Joel's version of the song produced by

Scott Storch Scott Spencer Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer and songwriter. He started off as a keyboardist for the group the Roots. Early life Storch was born on Long Island, New York. He was raised in South Florida and Phi ...

for a

compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

of her former group

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

, titled '' Mathew Knowles & Music World Present Vol.1: Love Destiny''. The song was later included on the platinum edition of her third solo album, '' I Am... Sasha Fierce'' (2008). Pip Ellwood of Entertainment Focus described Knowles' version of the song as a "turgid" ballad that doesn't "add too much to the record". Serving as the sixteenth track to Knowles' platinum edition re-release of ''I Am... Sasha Fierce'', the song contrasts with previous tracks such as " Why Don't You Love Me". It showcases Knowles' "soulful" voice and "outstanding" vocal range as stated by Hannah Spencer of the website Allgigs. Ken Bielen in his book ''The Words and Music of Billy Joel'' wrote, "Backed primarily by an electronic keyboard and an urban

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

arrangement, she stays faithful to the original ballad with a bittersweet vocal performance." "Honesty" was performed during Knowles' concert at the

Olympic Gymnastics Arena The Olympic Gymnastics Arena (), also known as the KSPO Dome since 2018, is an indoor arena located within the Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea. It has a capacity of 15,000 and can be extended upto 20,000. It was constructed between 31 Augu ...

in Seoul on October 20, 2009, as part of her worldwide I Am... Tour (2009–10). The song became very popular on the South Korea Gaon International charts, peaking at number two. It became the 9th and 173rd best-selling single in 2010 and 2011 in South Korea respectively selling over 800,000 digital downloads.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Billy Joel's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Honesty (Billy Joel Song) 1979 singles 1978 songs Billy Joel songs Songs written by Billy Joel Beyoncé songs Rock ballads Song recordings produced by Phil Ramone Columbia Records singles 1970s ballads