It's Not Right But It's Okay – English Lyrics

• By: Felix Jaehn, Whitney Houston

Lyrics & Translation

It's Not Right But It's Okay" by Whitney Houston is a powerful and iconic R&B anthem of empowerment and self-worth. Its straightforward yet emotionally charged lyrics make it an excellent song for language learners, offering practical vocabulary for discussing relationships, difficult conversations, and asserting independence. The song's compelling storytelling and Houston's legendary vocal performance make it a special and unforgettable listen.

[English]

Friday night, you and your boys went out to eat, oh

Then they hung out

But you came home around three

Yes, you did

If six of y'all went out, ah

Then four of you were really cheap, yeah

'Cause only two of you had dinner

I found your credit card receipt

It's not right, but it's okay

I'm gonna make it anyway

Pack your bags, up and leave

Don't you dare come runnin' back to me

It's not right, but it's okay

I'm gonna make it anyway

Close the door behind you, leave your key

I'd rather be alone than unhappy, yeah (ah)

It's not right

But it's okay

Not right

I'm packing bags so you can leave town for a week

Yes, I am

The phone rings, and then you look at me

Why'd you turn and look at me?

You said it was one of your friends, down on 54th Street, boy

So why did 213 show up on your Caller I.D.? Oh

It's not right, but it's okay (sho 'nuff okay, ha)

I'm gonna make it anyway (make it anyway)

Pack your bags (pack your bags), up and leave (get out and leave)

Don't you dare (don't you dare) come runnin' back to me (back to me, boy)

I've been through all of this before (I've been through all this before)

So how could you think (don't think about it, don't think about it)

That I would stand around and take the pain (don't you turn 'round)

There's no more tears left here for you to see

Was it really worth you going out like that? (Tell me, boy)

See, I'm movin' on

And I refuse to turn back, yeah

See, all of this time

I thought I had somebody down for Whitney

It turns out, you were making a fool of me, oh

It's not right, but it's okay (sho 'nuff okay, ha)

I'm gonna make it anyway (make it anyway)

Pack your bags (pack your bags), up and leave (get out and leave)

Don't you dare (don't you dare) come runnin' back to me (back to me, boy)

It's not right

It's not right (it's not right), but it's okay (it's okay)

I'm gonna make it anyway (I'm gonna, I'm gonna, ah)

Close the door behind you (close the door), leave your key (and leave your key)

I'd rather be alone than unhappy (unhappy, yo)

It's not right

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from a place or person
pack /pæk/ A2	verb - to put things into a container or bag
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create or prepare something
close /kloʊz/ A1	verb - to move something to cover an opening
turn /tɜːrn/ A1	verb - to change direction or position
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - to direct one's gaze toward someone or something
move /muːv/ A1	verb - to change position or location
refuse /rɪˈfjuːz/ B1	verb - to decline or reject something
unhappy /ʌnˈhæpi/ A2	adjective - feeling sad or dissatisfied
alone /əˈloʊn/ A1	adjective - without others; solitary
worth /wɜːrθ/ A2	adjective - having a value or deserving effort
fool /fuːl/ A2	noun - a person who acts unwisely or is easily deceived verb - to deceive or trick someone
receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ B1	noun - a written acknowledgment that something has been received
dinner /ˈdɪnər/ A1	noun - the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening
credit /ˈkrɛdɪt/ B1	noun - the ability to borrow money or access goods before payment

Key Grammar Structures

• Friday night, you and your boys went out to eat, oh

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ Describes a completed action in the past. The verb "went out" is in the past simple.

• Don't you dare come runnin' back to me

  ➔ Imperative with "Don't you dare"

  ➔ Used to give a strong warning or prohibition. "Don't you dare" emphasizes the prohibition.

• I'd rather be alone than unhappy, yeah

  ➔ "Would rather" (expressing preference)

  ➔ Expresses a preference for one thing over another. "I'd rather" means "I would rather."

• Why'd you turn and look at me?

  ➔ Contraction "Why'd you" (Why did you) + Interrogative structure

  ➔ "Why'd" is a common contraction for "Why did", used to ask about the reason for a past action.

• I'm gonna make it anyway

  ➔ "Be going to" (future intention/plan) + "anyway" (adverb)

  ➔ "I'm gonna" is a casual contraction of "I am going to," indicating a future intention or plan, often despite an obstacle ("anyway").

• I've been through all of this before

  ➔ Present Perfect (experience)

  ➔ Describes an experience that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the present. "I've been" is the contracted form of "I have been."

• So how could you think / That I would stand around and take the pain

  ➔ "How could you" (expressing disbelief/reproach)

  ➔ Used to express surprise, criticism, or disbelief about someone's past action or thought. The phrase "how could you" conveys strong emotion.

• Was it really worth you going out like that?

  ➔ "Worth + -ing" (value/benefit of an action)

  ➔ Used to ask if an action was beneficial or had a good outcome. The structure is "worth" followed by a gerund ("going").

• It turns out, you were making a fool of me, oh

  ➔ Phrasal verb "turn out" + Past Continuous

  ➔ "Turn out" means to be discovered or prove to be. Past continuous ("were making") describes an action ongoing at a specific point in the past.

• There's no more tears left here for you to see

  ➔ "There is/are" + "left" (past participle as adjective)

  ➔ "There's" (there is) indicates existence, and "left" modifies "tears" to mean "remaining" or "not used up".