“I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” is one of My Chemical Romance’s most revered songs off the album that launched them into emo-scene stardom. Despite a multi-year breakup period, the band consistently delivers story-driven albums with theatrical live performances. And their fanbase remains devoted decades after the height of commercial pop-punk success. Read about the emotionally charged anthem of the Warped Tour generation and learn how to get its sound with the BOSS Katana.
About the Song
My Chemical Romance (MCR) burst onto the charts with “I’m Not Okay (I Promise),” the lead single off their 2004 sophomore album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. The album shifted away from their debut’s rawer sound, highlighting frontman Gerard Way’s storytelling prowess. The band’s major-label debut was rewarded with four hit singles and platinum sales within a year.
It has become one of MCR’s most popular tracks, thanks to its mix of up-tempo guitar riffs, power chords, and poignant lyrics dripping with signature angst. In a Rolling Stone interview, Way referred to the track as a “self-help pop song” and “a moving anthem for the young and depressed.” The chorus refrain, “I’m not okay, I’m not okay / I’m not okay, you wear me out,” is the battle cry of MCR fans that has reverberated for years.
"It has become one of MCR’s most popular tracks, thanks to its mix of up-tempo guitar riffs, power chords, and poignant lyrics dripping with signature angst."
Breaking it Down
With driving power chords and palm-muted riffs, the dual guitar parts, played by Frank Iero and Ray Toro, give the track its distinctively pop-punk feel. The main riff starts within the intro and carries into the chorus, consisting of a simple octave part played over the second guitar’s mounting rhythm power chords. The chorus’s lyrical repetition invites listeners to participate in the passionate outcry: “I’m not okay.”
The verse rhythm part features palm-muted power chord patterns that hold steady throughout the sections. Meanwhile, Way’s increasingly desperate vocals narrate a story of teen betrayal and feeling misunderstood. The music video drives the concept home with a stereotypical high school setting featuring a showdown between the band members and the popular kids.
“If you ever felt…alone, rejected, confused, lost, anxious, wrong, wronged, unclean, angry, ashamed, curious, used, be prepared to feel revenge,” reads the video’s title cards. With its depiction of high school alienation, the clip offers to unite their misfit-identifying fanbase.
"With driving power chords and palm-muted riffs, the dual guitar parts, played by Frank Iero and Ray Toro, give the track its distinctively pop-punk feel."
Learn the Licks
In a video on the Marty Music YouTube channel, Marty Schwartz breaks down the two guitar parts and teaches how to replicate the riffs, rhythms, and choppy chords that shape the tune. Using a free patch for the BOSS Katana, Schwartz captures the essence of the dynamic guitar sound.
Spend some time with the video to sharpen your skills. Then, visit BOSS Tone Exchange, download the “I Am Okay” patch for BOSS Katana, and bask in the triumphant My Chemical Romance tone.
DOWNLOAD
"I Am Okay" Patch for BOSS Katana
- In the style of “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance
