I think that Billy Joel doesn't get enough credit for his lyrics - mostly because he mostly writes love songs of one form or another. But he uses a device almost no one else does - when he gets to the chorus he sings the title of the song, but it's actually part of a larger sentance.
In full, "Have I waited too Long to Turn the Lights Back On." In doing so he plays on the expectation of hope in the title when it might not even be there. It's a brilliant use of language.