[1] The song, written through the process of arranging random words into fluent verses, contains references to several musicians, including Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Jeff Buckley, Kurt Cobain, and John Lennon, as well as Elizabeth II.

Once he had arranged the phrases into a pleasing outcome, he met with producer Tom Rothrock and drummer Joey Waronker to set the composition to music.

It eventually resulted in the tribute verse that mentions the deaths of several of Badly Drawn Boy's idols—Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, and John Lennon.

According to Badly Drawn Boy, the song is about 'not wasting the chance with real life just because you got this opportunity to be a pop star,'[3] and it serves as a 'reminder of what's important and not to lose your marbles'.

[5] AllMusic critic Tom Maginnis wrote that "You Were Right" is an 'ambitiously orchestrated bit of pop music that is equal parts confessional and affirmation', and that Badly Drawn Boy 'manage[d] to pull it all together in a bittersweet, tumultuous swirl, built around a halting mid-tempo beat that combines layers of guitars and strings to which Gough sings with a matter of fact directness that gives emotional weight to his almost free associative soul baring ... All tolled [sic], "You Were Right" reveals a deeply thoughtful songwriter, interweaving mature themes into compelling music that challenges both himself and his listeners'.