| "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by My Chemical Romance | ||||
| from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge | ||||
| Released | September 13, 2004 (see release history) |
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| Format | 7" vinyl, CD, Digital download, DVD | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, post-hardcore | |||
| Length | 3:08 | |||
| Label | Reprise, Eyeball | |||
| Writer(s) | My Chemical Romance | |||
| Producer | Howard Benson | |||
| Certification | Gold (U.S.) | |||
| My Chemical Romance singles chronology | ||||
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"I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" is the first single and fifth track from My Chemical Romance's second studio album, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. It is their third overall single. It reached #86 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and, in March 2005, #19 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also helped expand the band's fan base, and has been certified gold status by the RIAA. The song was re-released in the UK November 2005. The song is also included in the EA Trax listing for racing game Burnout 3: Takedown. The cover art was redone in live action on the inside of the band's DVD Life on the Murder Scene. The song is featured in the music game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.
Matt Pond PA recorded a cover of the song for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2, which was released in November 2008.[1]
Contents |
The first music video version for the song features a montage of concert footage and the band's ordinary life in New Jersey. It was produced by Rafaela Monfradini and Greg Kaplan, who was also the director. It also features pictures of brothers, bassist Mikey Way and lead singer Gerard Way, when they were little kids and teenagers.
The second version music video depicts life inside a fictional American high school in the form of a mock movie trailer. The band appears as a group of outcast, dorky students who are repeatedly harassed by another group who are portrayed as jocks. The band members then attempt to take on the jocks and ultimately have a showdown in a hallway, with the band members armed with croquet mallets and the jocks with lacrosse and hockey gear. The music video was directed by Marc Webb, and parts of it were filmed at Alexander Hamilton High School and Loyola High School in Los Angeles. An interesting point to make here is that ex drummer Bob Bryar appears in the second video, as he had been officially recruited by the band at this point, but not added. This is evident by the fact that Gerard repeatedly blocks Bryar's face, supposedly to keep viewers from thinking he was a member of the band at that time. Another reason to note is since he had recently joined, he is not seen with the other band members in the high school scenes or credited in the movie card at the end.
This version of the video was also named #1 on Fuse's 25 Greatest Videos Countdown, beating out other videos such as "Basket Case" by Green Day and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana.
US promotional DVD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" |
UK promotional CD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (radio edit) | 3:08 |
UK CD1 and 7" vinyl
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Bury Me in Black" (demo) | 2:39 |
UK CD2
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Bury Me in Black" | 2:37 |
| 3. | "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" (live) | 2:51 |
| 4. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (video) |
UK and Australian CD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Bury Me in Black" (demo version) | 2:39 |
| 3. | "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" (live) | 2:51 |
UK re-release CD1 and iTunes single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | 3:07 |
| 2. | "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" (live from BBC Radio 1 Lock Up session) | 3:30 |
UK re-release CD2
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" | 3:09 |
| 2. | "You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison" (live from BBC Radio 1 Lock Up session) | 3:30 |
| 3. | "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" (live from MTV $2 Bill) | 3:24 |
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 65 |
| European Hot 100 Singles[2] | 67 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 38 |
| UK Singles Chart | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 86 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 4 |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2004 | Warner Reprise, Eyeball | DVD | PRODVD101434 |
| United Kingdom | Reprise, Eyeball | CD | PRO15076 | |
| September 13, 2004 | W653CD, 9362427522 | |||
| March 7, 2005 | 7" vinyl | W666, 5439160527 | ||
| March 7, 2005 | CD | W666CD1, 5439160522 | ||
| W666CD2, 9362427962 | ||||
| Australia | March 28, 2005 | 9362427522 | ||
| United Kingdom | November 7, 2005 | W692CD1, 5439158692 | ||
| W692CD2, 9362428672 |
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