 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 twenty @-@ four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart , becoming the album 's third consecutive top forty hit . It was certified gold by Recording Industry Association of Japan for ringtone download sales of over 100 @,@ 000 units . Joel performed the song live several times with Elton John and later with Bryan Adams . " Honesty " has been covered and sampled by various artists , most notably by American R & B recording artist , Beyoncé Knowles . 
