The band eclipsed their previous success with their 2006 concept album, The Black Parade, which gained generally favorable reviews among music critics. Their fourth studio album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released on November 22, 2010, to positive reviews. The band's final release in their original run were a series of singles, released over the course of five months, collected on the compilation Conventional Weapons. The band announced its break-up on March 22, 2013, one month after the final release in the Conventional Weapons series. On March 25, 2014, the band released May Death Never Stop You: The Greatest Hits (2001–2013), a greatest hits album containing material spanning their entire career, as well as some previously unreleased material.
On Halloween of 2019, the band announced a comeback show in Los Angeles, California, and fans speculated that there was more to it than just a show. On November 5, three more shows were confirmed in Australia, New Zealand and Japan. On January 29, 2020, eighteen additional dates were announced in North America.
On May 12, 2022, the band released The Foundations Of Decay, solidifying their return as a band.
02. I'm Not Okay
My Chemical Romance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
You wear me out
What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems? (I'm not okay)
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 (okay)
The song "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance is an emo-rock anthem that speaks to the struggles of feeling misunderstood and unable to cope with life's pressures. The opening lines, "Well if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say," set the tone for the rest of the song, which is a confession of sorts about the singer's inner turmoil. The listener can sense the raw honesty of the lyrics, which are delivered with passion and urgency.
The chorus of "I'm Not Okay" is catchy and memorable, with the repetition of the phrase "I'm not okay" driving home the message of despair and frustration. The verse that follows offers a glimmer of hope, with the singer acknowledging that things may seem bleak, but insisting that they are okay now. This juxtaposition of darkness and hopefulness is a hallmark of My Chemical Romance's music, and helps to make the band's music so popular with fans of all ages.
One of the key themes of "I'm Not Okay" is the feeling of being trapped or confined by the expectations of others. The lyrics mention "photographs your boyfriend took," which suggests that the singer may be feeling stifled by a romantic relationship. There is also a sense of being misunderstood by others, as evidenced by the line "You said you read me like a book, but the pages all are torn and frayed." This feeling of being unable to connect with others is a common experience for many people, and is likely part of what has made this song so popular over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Well if you wanted honesty, that's all you had to say
If you wanted me to be honest with you, you could have just asked me.
I never want to let you down or have you go, it's better off this way
I don't want to disappoint you or make you leave, but it's better if we end things now.
For all the dirty looks
You've given me a lot of dirty looks.
For photographs your boyfriend took
You have photos with your boyfriend that make me feel jealous and inferior.
Remember when you broke your foot from jumping out the second floor?
Remember that crazy thing you did that got you hurt?
I'm not okay
I'm not alright.
You wear me out
You exhaust me emotionally.
What will it take to show you that it's not the life it seems? (I'm not okay)
What do I have to do to prove to you that my life isn't as great as it looks on the surface?
I told you time and time again you sing the words but don't know what it means
I've told you many times that you're just going through the motions without understanding the true meaning of things.
To be a joke and look
It's humiliating to be laughed at and disregarded.
Another line without a hook
Another song that lacks substance and meaning.
I held you close as we both shook for the last time
I hugged you tightly as we both cried together for the final time.
Take a good hard look
Examine the situation closely and honestly.
Forget about the dirty looks
Stop giving me dirty looks and judging me unfairly.
The photographs your boyfriend took?
Those photos your boyfriend took of you that make me feel inferior?
You said you read me like a book, but the pages all are torn and frayed
You claimed to understand me completely, but your understanding is incomplete and flawed.
I'm okay
I'm alright.
I'm okay, now
I'm alright now.
But you really need to listen to me
You need to pay attention to what I'm saying.
Because I'm telling you the truth
What I'm saying is true.
I mean this
I'm being sincere.
Well, I'm not okay
I'm not doing well.
I'm not o-fucking-kay
I'm really not alright.
I'm not okay
I'm not okay.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANK IERO, GERARD WAY, MATTHEW PELLISIER, MICHAEL WAY, RAY TORO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@imor0014
Walking through the corridor
Well,
Are you ready Ray? Yeeah
How about you, Frank? Oh, I'm there, babe
How about you, Mikey?
Fucking ready
Well, I think I'm alright
One, two, three, four, Killjoys make some noise!
Na na na playing in the background
Principal: Can you explain what happened?
Gee: You see, we were at a gig in a bar, you know, so the police burst into here
Frnk: In the middle of a gunfight, in the center of the restaurant, the said "come with your arms raised high"
Mikey: We were doing nothing wrong, just dancing with a couple of girls at the bar before we had to leave to Normandy.
Ray: It was a mess, everything went wrong, Mikey died, she died too
Principal: she?
Gee: Helena. So long and Goodnight
Principal: Mikey?
Mikey: I'm really not so with you anymore, I'm just a ghost
Gee: But we'll carry on And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on.
Principal: You're so not dead, but you will be. Frank, you peed on a locker and drank the chemicals at chemistry class, Michael you broke into my office and used the public address to blast your music, Ray you spent the whole chemistry class doing... whatever and Gerard you failed all your classes. You four get detention today, immediately after school, and Frank do not discredit a defenseless textbooks
At detention
Gee: we should have faked our death
@elm_
If you ever felt alone
If you ever felt rejected
If you ever felt confused
If you ever felt lost
If you ever felt anxious
If you ever felt wrong
If you ever felt wronged
If you ever felt unclean
If you ever felt angry
If you ever felt ashamed
If you ever felt curious
If you ever felt used
Be prepared to feel revenge
Feel the romance
My brutal romance
My beautiful romance
My miserable romance
My X-rated romance
My harlequin romance
My innocent romance
My scandalous romance
My selfish romance
My pathetic romance
My childish romance
My watercooler romance
My chemical romance
@tvmonkey4929
If you ever felt alone
If you ever felt rejected
If you ever felt confused
If you ever felt lost
If you ever felt anxious
If you ever felt wrong
If you ever felt wronged
If you ever felt unclean
If you ever felt angry
If you ever felt ashamed
If you ever felt curious
If you ever felt used
Be prepared to feel
Revenge
Feel the romance
My brutal romance
My beautiful romance
My miserable romance
My x-rated romance
My harlequin romance
My innocent romance
My Chemical Romance
@poisinskulls3513
If You Ever Felt Alone
If You Ever Felt Rejected
If You Ever Felt Confused
If You Ever Felt Lost
If You Ever Felt Anxious
If You Ever Felt Wrong
If You Ever Felt Wronged
If You Ever Felt Unclean
If You Ever Felt Angry
If You Ever Felt Ashamed
If You Ever Felt Curious
If You Ever Felt Used
Be Prepared To Feel Revenge
Feel The Romance
My Brutal Romance
My Beautiful Romance
My Miserable Romance
My X-rated Romance
My Harlequin Romance
My Innocent Romance
My Selfish Romance
My Childish Romance
My Pathetic Romance
My Scandalous Romance
My Water-Cooler Romance
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
@voluntaryvictim
THEY OPENED WITH THIS SONG AT THE REUNION
WE'RE NOT OKAY
@sweetanarchi
cam is trash so damn true 😭
@daydreams-of-death
ok but.. were we EVER okay?
@VLNC_-ci8pf
😭😭
@KillingLonliness
And this was my first ever mcr song I ever listened to
@katieburns3082
I threw my phone XD
@kathrynhamel6465
Roses are red
My eyeliner’s black
The time has come
MCR is back
@florianeb7134
Kathryn Hamel genius
@user-yt9th8hb4c
The best comment i've seen so far.✌Welcome back MCR!
@babiigurl2148
I love this !!! 👏🏼