I'm Not Okay (I Promise)

My Chemical Romance

Well if you wanted honesty
That's all you had to say
I never want to let you down or have you go
It's better off this way
For all the dirty looks
For photographs your boyfriend took
Remember when you broke your foot
From jumping out the second floor?

I'm not okay
I'm not okay
I'm not okay
You wear me out

What will it take to show you
That it's not the life it seems?
I told you time and time again
You sing the words
But don't know what it means
To be a joke and look
Another line without a hook
I held you close as we both shook
For the last time
Take a good hard look

I'm not okay
I'm not okay
I'm not okay
You wear me out

Forget about the dirty looks
The photographs your boyfriend took
You said you read me like a book
But the pages all are torn and frayed

I'm okay
I'm okay
I'm okay, now
(I'm okay, now)

But you really need to listen to me
Because I'm telling you the truth
I mean this
I'm okay (trust me)

I'm not okay
I'm not okay
Well, I'm not okay
I'm not o-fucking-kay
I'm not okay
I'm not okay (kay)


Lyrics submitted by Brandnizzle2k4, edited by SmashingDestiny

I'm Not Okay (I Promise) Lyrics as written by Gerard Way Frank Iero

Lyrics © BLOW THE DOORS OFF CHICAGO

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I'm Not Okay (I Promise) song meanings
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856 Comments

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  • +13
    General Comment
    Gerard himself has said that the song is about the fact that he kind of had this thing with some girl...and he was like in love with her...but she had a boyfriend. And she took all these slutty pictures with her boyfriend, and Gerard got all upset. The song's about him just...not being okay, at all, mentally nor emotionally. It's an answer to the ever-so-frequent question "Are you okay?" Most people will say that they're fine...even if they aren't. Gerard's just like "Fuck that, No, as a matter of fact, I'm not okay"...I'm just kind of rambling now. Good song...lYkE OMgZzZ McR T0talLY RawX Fo ReEl!1!! Har Har har.
    You'll be a memoryon October 12, 2004   Link
  • +7
    General Comment
    Wow, 2014 and I'm still rocking to this song. It brings me a lot of high school feels. I so miss my high school batchmates. I remember rocking this song in all of the corners of our school! That moment when the teachers were like "What's with you people?!" and we're just "I'm okay. Trust me!" with all the eyeliners and black jeans. haha. MCR's music has been an inspiration and guide to us until now. Not because of their dark and sharp lines, but the message it conveys. It's all about the real world. It surprisingly makes us good people if we just get the real lessons from their music. They're excellent!
    FairyAlontoon February 22, 2014   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    love it when he says "trust me."
    hoydenon October 19, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    i love this song so much it's unbelievable =D it really gets the party going and whenever me and my friends hear it we go crazy!!! i love the bit in the song where it goes 'i mean this. im okay. trust me!' and then it carries on. the trust me bit is probably the bit everyone waits for lol. it's a song i think everyone can relate to when your feeling pissed off or having a bad day. it's like you feel really upset but you can't say to your friends 'hey, im not okay.' it's like this song is just about letting all your anger out. i think this song is a legend and will still be loved in years to come (: x x x
    xxxDeadCutexxxon April 12, 2008   Link
  • +2
    Memory
    there was this one guy and he recommended me this band so i started to listen to them a lot. he was my best friend at the time and we were "friends on the verge of becoming more" so everytime i listened to them I thought of him. We did all kinds of crazy things together... We smoked, drank, partied, and committed various criminal acts. I had the time of my life. He influenced me in so many ways (good and bad) and at one point we were going to do something too extreme "you wear me out" and I just couldn't keepup with him. In the end i got my shit together and I we started going crazy together. all was swell and it was all I ever wanted. We were not even 16 ha. Then he met this one girl and everything fell apart. He wouldn't spend time with me anymore even though he promised we would be friends for life. I started my hoe phase and now if you are reading this I hope you are happy you fill me with so much rage I trusted you and you left me for some 18 year old girl you never met huh
    lithium420on February 02, 2021   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Sounds like Queen at points....can't go wrong with that. wonderful song.
    yanksrok27on June 03, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    The songs about how he felt when he was in highschool. He only had one real friend and he was really in love with this girl, and she took all these pictures with her boyfriend and he was really upset, I also read that this is like a part 2 to headfirst for halos.
    autumns_goneon June 26, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Probably the most "poppy" song they have done, but very good. I love the video too. Did everyone participate in Talk Like A Pirate Sunday? I sure did, haha fun times with MCR.
    TheShowerSceneon October 30, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    To me, this song is, basically, my life now and forever <3 Can't diss them...MCR 4 ever!! <3
    theunknownmcron May 13, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    i listened to this song so hard and on and on in the street when i had this fucking summertime sadness
    GigiBellamyon August 11, 2016   Link

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