What Inspired Jelly Roll's 'I Am Not Okay' Lyrics? [Listen]

Jelly Roll's new song "I Am Not Okay" sounds like another pulled from his turbulent past, but the full scope of the lyrics stretches into his present and beyond.

Fan stories inspired much of the storytelling on his new album.

"I Am Not Okay" is Jelly Roll's first official single from a new album that will be released on BMG in partnership with Republic Records.
Talking to Taste of Country Nights host Evan Paul in May, he shared that he wrote over 150 songs for this album: "I've never been so inspired."
This week, "Halfway to Hell" became his fourth straight No. 1 hit on country radio.

"I'm at gas stations and red carpets and I'm hearing life stories from people, really inspiring stories. I've never wrote more," Jelly Roll shares.

"Save Me" — his chart-topping duet with Lainey Wilson — opened up paths for that kind of communication. He revealed his pain in the lyrics, and millions of fans found themselves in the storytelling. The lyrics to "I Am Not Okay" (see below) work similarly.

"I was in one of the darkest places of my whole existence when I wrote this song," he recalled of writing "Save Me" as the COVID-19 pandemic began. "I was in a very hopeless scenario."

Anyone who's struggled with depression or mental health can appreciate what he was feeling, or — depending on the day — is feeling. Professional highs haven't erased dark days. After the 2023 CMA Awards, he admitted to Taste of Country that he spent several days struggling to get out of bed.

What separates "I Am Not Okay" (co-written by Ashley Gorley, Casey Brown and Taylor Phillips) is the sunlight breaking through the shadows.

"I'm not okay, but it's all gonna be all right / It's not okay, but we're all gonna be all right," he sings to close each chorus.

Those are the words of a man who knows of what he sings. In a genre filled with questions about credibility, few ask any of Jelly Roll.

Here are the Lyrics to Jelly Roll's Song "I Am Not Okay"

Verse 1:

I am not okay I'm barely getting by / I'm losing track of days I'm losing sleep at night / I am not okay I'm hanging on the rails / So if I say I'm fine just know I learned to hide it well.

Chorus:

I know I can't be the only one who's holding on for dear life / But I know God knows when it's all said and done / I'm not okay, but it's all gonna be all right / It's not okay, but we're all gonna be all right.

Verse 2:

I woke up today I almost stayed in bed / I had the devil on my back voices in my head / Some days it all ain't bad some days it all gets worse / Some days I swear I'm better off laying in the dirt.

Repeat Chorus

Gonna be all right (x2)

Bridge:

I know one day we'll see the other side / The pain will wash away in a Holy Water tide / And we all gonna be all right.

Repeat Chorus

I'm not okay and it's all right.

Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he's written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.

Jelly Roll: 23 Stunning Facts About the 'Save Me' Singer

Jelly Roll is country music's most fascinating character. His life has taken dozens of wild twists and turns, and he's been honest about all of it. Here are 23 facts about the "Save Me" singer and his family.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

20 Songs Jelly Roll Plays The Most During His Shows

Jelly Roll has been a touring machine in recent years. He is following up a busy 2023 with a another huge tour in 2024.

We recently went through all of the setlists from his shows using Setlist.fm to determine the songs you'll mostly likely hear if you get tickets to a Jelly Roll show. Here is a look at his most played songs.

(NOTE: Song stats are through March 26, 2024)

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll