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About

Genius Annotation

The story of this song is about a girl with interpersonal problems (such as her boyfriend sharing her naked photos) asking for help from her friend, the narrator. The narrator is suffering from his own very real problems but puts them aside to help the girl out, who doesn’t really listen to him.

The running theme throughout the song is that she really does not understand other people’s problems. She loves all these songs with deep meanings, claims that they speak to her and that she can relate but really she doesn’t know what any of it means.

The narrator finally tries to get it through to her so she can understand that her problems are very different from his. Hers are external, his are internal, and that doesn’t mean his are any less real or painful.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What have critics said about this song?
Genius Answer

Alternative Press gave this album an extremely positive review, but implied that the singles were not what made the album great.

In a stark contrast, Rolling Stone, while dishing out a mediocre review of the album (3 out of 5 stars), called “I’m Not Okay” one of the few “standout tracks.”

Was the song always titled "I'm Not Okay?"
Genius Answer

No – an insert that comes with the vinyl pressing of Three Cheers reveals that the song was once called “I Promise It’s The Last Time.” The picture shows the original written lyrics by the band, with this track’s page in the top right.

What did My Chemical Romance say about "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"?
Genius Answer

In May Death Never Stop You rhythm guitarist Frank Iero described this song as feeling “like home.”

… As if those 3 minutes and 9 seconds were where we belonged. There was a feeling of excitement and fun somehow embedded in those four chords. we must have played it thousands of times in total, and every time I heard that D octave come blaring from stage left the hair on my neck would stand up. It felt fresh… and I never got sick of it.

Does this connect to the story in any way?
Credits
Background Vocals
Percussion
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Pro Tools Editor
Pro Tools Programmer
Lead guitar
Rhythm Guitar
Bass Guitar
Recording Engineer
Hammond Organ
Additional Engineer
Release Date
June 8, 2004
View I’m Not Okay (I Promise) samples
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