Trent Dabbs (Nashville, TN) is the founding member of TOT and has received … Read Full Bio ↴Trent Dabbs (Nashville, TN) is the founding member of TOT and has received national acclaim both for his own recordings and also for his collaborations with other artists. Dabbs' music has been featured on various television shows including "The OC," "The Mountain," "The Hills," "October Road", "One Tree Hill" and the new film Nothing But the Truth (starring Kate Beckinsale) as well as earning him an opening slot for REM. His most recent placement was a song he co-wrote with fellow TOT member, Joy Williams, "Charmed Life," which was featured on this years' "Grey's Anatomy" finale. Trent also co-wrote two songs on Mat Kearney's new album: "Lifeline" (cowritten with TOT member Matthew Perryman Jones) and "Never Be Ready."

I'm Not OK
Trent Dabbs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And how would I ever know
If I never tried
If I never tried to love you
It's easy to blame myself
For wanting something else
For wanting something else

Dreams start to fade away

Become another day
And then another day
Goes by
Can't seem to watch it past
Was never good at that
Was never good at that
Was I?

I'm not Ok
With just leaving
Or holding back my words
Until I need them
I'm not OK
With just leaving
I love you too much

Thought I was above
I guess I really wasn't
I guess I really wasn't
A kiss is meant to fade
And feelings go away
Feelings go away

I'm not OK
With just leaving
Or holding back my words
Until I need them
I'm not OK
With just leaving
I love you too much

I'm not OK
With just leaving
Holding back my words
Until I need them
I'm not OK
With just leaving
I love you too much
How would I ever know

If I never try
If I never tried?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Trent Dabbs's song "I'm Not OK" express the fear of holding back, regret, and the struggle to express one's true feelings. The first verse speaks to the fear of trying and being rejected. The singer is unsure how they would know if they never tried, and this fear holds them back from loving the person they desire. The second verse talks about the struggle of letting time slip away without making a move, expressing regret for not taking actions that may have resolved the situation. The chorus emphasizes the overwhelming love the singer feels for the person they desire and the struggle to keep their love hidden or unfulfilled.

The bridge highlights the singer's false sense of confidence and the disillusionment that came with it. They thought they were above loving this person but realized they were mistaken, and even a kiss cannot make the feelings go away. The final chorus repeats their desire to not just leave and to not hold back their words anymore. They cannot bear the thought of losing the person they love, and they are willing to take the risk of rejection by expressing their true feelings.

Overall, "I'm Not Ok" expresses the fear of not knowing what could be if one never tries, the regret of letting opportunities pass by, and the struggle to express true feelings despite the fear of rejection.

Line by Line Meaning

And how would I ever know
If I never take the chance, how can I be sure?

If I never tried
If I never made an effort

If I never tried to love you
If I never made an attempt to love you

It's easy to blame myself
It's easier to hold myself accountable

For wanting something else
For desiring or yearning for something different

Dreams start to fade away
Hopes and aspirations begin to diminish

Become another day
Pass like any other day

And then another day
And more days go by

Can't seem to watch it past
Can't seem to overlook it or move on from it

Was never good at that
Never had a talent or skill for doing that

I'm not OK with just leaving
I don't feel content with simply exiting

Or holding back my words
Or censoring or withholding what I have to say

Until I need them
Until the time is right to express myself

I love you too much
I cherish and care for you greatly

Thought I was above
Thought I was beyond or better than

I guess I really wasn't
I was mistaken in my assumption

A kiss is meant to fade
A kiss is expected to lose significance or importance over time

And feelings go away
Emotions diminish or wane

I'm not OK with just leaving
I don't feel content with simply exiting

Holding back my words
Censoring or withholding what I have to say

I'm not OK
I'm not feeling satisfactory or content

How would I ever know
If I never take the chance, how can I determine for certain?

If I never tried?
If I never made an effort?

Writer(s): Trent Kelly Dabbs, Jill Ellen Andrews

Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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01One Last Look4:57

02Come to Life3:31

03The Day Is Long, the Night Is Young4:01

04Hoping for Home3:50

05I'm Not OK4:00

PT4M

Trent Dabbs

06The Losing Touch3:53

07Read 'em and Weep4:14

08Wrap My Mind Around You3:13

09What You See In Her4:53

10Better Off Now4:14

11Future Like Snow (feat. Lori McKenna)3:36

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Nikki Olivier

4y↑5

And how would I ever know
If I never tried
If I never tried to love you
It's easy to blame myself
For wanting something else
For wanting something else

Dreams start to fade away
Become another day
And then another day
Goes by
Can't seem to watch it past
Was never good at that
Was never good at that
Was I?

I'm not Ok
With just leaving
Or holding back my words
Until I need them
I'm not OK
With just leaving
I love you too much

Thought I was above
I guess I really wasn't
I guess I really wasn't
A kiss is meant to fade
And feelings go away
Feelings go away

I'm not OK
With just leaving
Or holding back my words
Until I need them
I'm not OK
With just leaving
I love you too much