NOT OK – English Lyrics

• By: 5 Seconds of Summer

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 5 Seconds of Summer's 'NOT OK,' a track that encourages listeners to explore vulnerability and inner complexities through its raw, evolving pop-rock sound. This song offers a compelling way to engage with modern English lyricism, featuring introspective themes of duality and desire that resonate deeply and showcase the band's bold new era.

[English]

Inside every one of us, a shadow side

I call it my better side

I call it the call-me-up-if-you-wanna-feel-better side

I'll put on my suit and tie to emphasize

You and I together, double homicide

Let's ride

Alright, are you my little genie or a parasite?

Girl, you keep the dream alive

Why you got me staying crazy, I was after closing time

Lucifer in every line, every night

You and I together, we should take a bite

Let's ride

I wanna dip my toe into the fire

Where did the good boy go? Killed by desire

On the edge

You make me wanna jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump

Hey, I'm not okay

I like the darker side of me, that part of me

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Hey, I'm not okay

It's like a hammer to the brain, all my insane

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Oh, my god, I feel invincible

And when the sun comes up, I feel despicable

And when my heart slows down, will you pick me up?

But we can pause for now, I think I said enough, uh

I wanna dip my toe into the fire

Where did the good boy go? Killed by desire

On the edge

You make me wanna jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump, jump

Hey, I'm not okay

I like the darker side of me, that part of me

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Hey, I'm not okay

It's like a hammer to the brain, all my insane

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Hey, give me a sip of it

It's one in the morning

Got these wheels rolling

It's four in the morning

All over the city

And I said I love you, but I didn't really mean it

I, I don't think, but

Anyways, turn it up

Hey, hey, hey, hey

...

Hey, I'm not okay

I like the darker side of me, that part of me

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Hey, I'm not okay

It's like a hammer to the brain

All my insane

Comes out to play when I'm with you, you

Bite the apple, baby

Oh, my god, I feel invincible

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ B1	noun - a dark area produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
side /saɪd/ A2	noun - a flat surface of an object.
emphasize /ˈem.fə.saɪz/ B2	verb - give special importance or prominence to (something).
homicide /ˈhɒmɪsaɪd/ C1	noun - the killing of one person by another.
ride /raɪd/ A2	verb - sit on and control the movement of (a horse, bicycle, etc.).
parasite /ˈpærəsaɪt/ C1	noun - an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting something.
jump /dʒʌmp/ A1	verb - push oneself off a surface and into the air by using the muscles in one's legs and feet.
darker /ˈdɑːrkər/ A2	adjective - with less light; not bright.
bite /baɪt/ A2	verb - cut or pierce (someone or something) with the teeth.
apple /ˈæpl/ A1	noun - a round fruit with firm white flesh and a green, red, or yellow skin.
hammer /ˈhæmər/ A2	noun - a tool consisting of a weight attached to a handle, used for driving nails into wood, breaking things, etc.
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B2	adjective - mentally deranged, especially as a result of illness.
invincible /ɪnˈvɪnsəbl/ C1	adjective - too powerful to be defeated or overcome.
despicable /dɪˈspɪkəbl/ C1	adjective - deserving contempt; vile.
wheels /wiːlz/ A1	noun - a circular mechanical device for moving things.

Key Grammar Structures

• Inside every one of us, a shadow side

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase as Modifier

  ➔ The prepositional phrase "Inside every one of us" functions as an adverbial modifier, indicating location. This is a B2-C2 level structure.

• I'll put on my suit and tie to emphasize

  ➔ Future Tense (will + base verb), Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ Uses the future tense "will put" and the infinitive "to emphasize" to express purpose. This shows a clear cause and effect.

• Why you got me staying crazy, I was after closing time

  ➔ Causative Verb (got), Present Continuous (staying), Past Continuous (was after)

  ➔ Complex sentence with causative verb "got", showing the effect of the subject. Present continuous describes the state of "staying" and the past continuous describes a past action. This structure highlights cause and effect and time progression.

• You and I together, we should take a bite

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement with Inversion and Coordination

  ➔ The sentence uses a comma to separate the subject-complement "You and I together" from the main clause. The subject-verb agreement "we should take" is straightforward. The structure is simple but the separation gives emphasis.

• I wanna dip my toe into the fire

  ➔ Contraction ('wanna' - informal), Phrasal Verb (dip into)

  ➔ Uses the informal contraction "wanna" (want to) and a phrasal verb "dip into". This is a common, yet advanced, expression in everyday English.

• Hey, I'm not okay

  ➔ Simple Sentence with Negation

  ➔ Basic sentence structure with negation. A core B2 level understanding is the formation and use of negations (not, no etc.)

• It's like a hammer to the brain, all my insane

  ➔ Simile; Ellipsis

  ➔ Uses a simile to compare something to a hammer to the brain, and ellipsis in "all my insane" to create a poetic effect. Showing a degree of literary sophistication.

• And when the sun comes up, I feel despicable

  ➔ Complex Sentence with Time Clause, Adjective as Predicate Adjective

  ➔ Uses a complex sentence structure with a time clause "when the sun comes up", and the adjective "despicable" as a predicate adjective. Demonstrates control over more advanced sentence constructions.

• Hey, give me a sip of it

  ➔ Imperative sentence, preposition 'of'

  ➔ A direct command (imperative), demonstrating basic sentence structure with the preposition "of". Common structure in everyday language and B1-C1