Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia.… Read Full Bio ↴Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The band has released seven studio albums along with two live albums, one greatest-hits album, and two extended plays. They have also 16 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay chart, of which 13 have reached #1. Their first album, The Foundation, is certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, while its follow-ups, You Get What You Give and Uncaged, are certified platinum. Artists with whom they have collaborated include Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, Kid Rock, Jason Mraz, Dave Grohl, Chris Cornell, Brandi Carlile, and Avicii.

The lineup consists of Zac Brown (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy De Martini (fiddle, vocals), John Driskell Hopkins (bass guitar, guitar, baritone guitar, banjo, ukulele, upright bass, vocals), Coy Bowles (guitar, keyboards), Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook (guitar, keyboards, mandolin, steel guitar, vocals), Matt Mangano (bass guitar), and Daniel de los Reyes (percussion).

It's Not OK
Zac Brown Band Lyrics

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A man was bothering me today and I
Wanted to tell him to go away
But I stood and listened to him anyway, okay
He said he didn't want to shoot that man
And it was his thing and I wouldn't understand
And he had done all that he can, okay

I guess his body was as good as mine

And just like me he was wasting time
Turning over every stone to see what he could find, okay
He was filling tank and he asked for money
I lied and said I didn't have any
Then my conscious took over and I gave him a hand full of change

Don't do a thing,don't do a thing
Stay right there
You'll lie there, you'll lie there
You don't seem to care

I know its hard to survive in the city
When the beautiful days don't look so pretty
And you don't have windows to keep the night away, okay
He was dirty and stink and just a bit crude
But I didn't say that because that's kind of rude
And he didn't care what I had to say in the first place, okay

I wanted to say you're a big disgrace to the world,
Yourself, and the human race
And reach back and pop him one good time in the face, okay
No its not okay and I didn't do that
But I gave him a smile and tipped my hat and told him to have a very nice rest
Of the day

Don't do a thing
Don't do a thing
Stay right there
You'll lie there
You'll lie there
You don't seem to care

Guess he bought some booze or shit and sure that bothers me a little bit but it's his life
And I can't tell him how to live it

As he turned and started to go his way I tried to think of something wise to
Say like

Don't do a thing, don't do a thing
Stay right here
You'll die here
You don't seem to care

You'll die here, you'll die here
You don't seem to care

Overall Meaning

"It's NOT OK" by Zac Brown Band is a song that deals with the concept of empathy and the struggle to understand another person's situation despite feeling uncomfortable or even threatened in certain situations. In the song, the singer is being bothered by a man and initially wants to tell him to go away. However, he ends up listening to the man and his problems, trying to understand where he's coming from. The lyrics show that the man is struggling to survive in the city and doesn't have much to sustain himself. The singer feels conflicted about the situation and the actions he should take.

The lyrics bring up the idea that everyone is equal in the end, regardless of background or social status. The singer sees that the man he interacts with is just like him, searching for a way to survive in the world. The singer attempts to practice empathy by imagining himself in the other person's shoes, understanding their perspective, and offering help in the form of some loose change. This shows how the singer is trying to help the man out and make him feel comfortable even if it's just for a short while.

Furthermore, the song confronts the listener with the idea that sometimes it's difficult to know what the right thing to do is. Sometimes, even when we want to act a certain way, it's not okay, and we must resist doing what we know is wrong. This moral conundrum is highlighted in the song's chorus where the singer is conflicted about what to do with the situation he is in. He ultimately chooses to do the right thing and realize that the man he encountered is another human being deserving of empathy and kindness.

Line by Line Meaning

A man was bothering me today and I
I had an encounter with a man who troubled me today

Wanted to tell him to go away
I felt like asking him to leave

But I stood and listened to him anyway, okay
Despite my urge to ask him to leave, I decided to listen to him

He said he didn't want to shoot that man
He confessed that he had no intention of harming someone

And it was his thing and I wouldn't understand
He claimed that it was his matter, and I couldn't comprehend it

And he had done all that he can, okay
He had exhausted all his possibilities

I guess his body was as good as mine
I realized that he was human like me

And just like me he was wasting time
He too was losing time, just like me

Turning over every stone to see what he could find, okay
He was searching for something, just like me

He was filling tank and he asked for money
He was trying to fill his gas tank and asked me for some money

I lied and said I didn't have any
I dishonestly claimed that I didn't have any money

Then my conscious took over and I gave him a hand full of change
But then my conscience got the better of me, and I handed him some coins

Don't do a thing,don't do a thing
It’s better to do nothing

Stay right there
Just stay put

You'll lie there, you'll lie there
You’ll end up staying there idly

You don't seem to care
It doesn't seem to bother you

I know its hard to survive in the city
Living in the city can be tough

When the beautiful days don't look so pretty
When even the beautiful days seem dull

And you don't have windows to keep the night away, okay
And when you have no windows to keep the night at bay

He was dirty and stink and just a bit crude
The man was unhygienic and had an unpleasant odor

But I didn't say that because that's kind of rude
I refrained from saying that because it would be impolite

And he didn't care what I had to say in the first place, okay
He was not interested in what I had to say anyway

I wanted to say you're a big disgrace to the world,
I had an impulse to tell him that he was a blot on humanity

Yourself, and the human race
He was a disgrace to himself and the entire human race

And reach back and pop him one good time in the face, okay
I even had a thought of punching him in the face

No its not okay and I didn't do that
But I knew that it wasn't acceptable, and I didn't act on that thought

But I gave him a smile and tipped my hat and told him to have a very nice rest
Instead, I smiled at him, tipped my hat, and wished him a good day

Of the day
For the rest of the day

Guess he bought some booze or shit and sure that bothers me a little bit but it's his life
Later, I realized that he might have bought alcohol, and that bothered me, but it was his life after all

And I can't tell him how to live it
It's not my place to dictate how he should live his life

As he turned and started to go his way I tried to think of something wise to
As he started walking away, I tried to come up with some useful advice

Say like
To say something useful

Don't do a thing, don't do a thing
It’s better to do nothing

Stay right here
Just stay put

You'll die here, you'll die here
You’ll eventually perish if you keep living like this

You don't seem to care
It doesn't seem to bother you

Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: John Hopkins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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