“It’s Ok” is the eighth track on Imagine Dragons’ 2021 album ‘Mercury – Act 1.’ This song intends to give a voice to everyone who is being hushed by society for being who they are, especially focusing on the LGBTQ+ youth of the world.
Imagine Dragons released their fifth studio album ‘Mercury – Act 1’ on September 3, 2021. The album contained two singles “Follow You” and “Cutthroat.” Imagine Dragons Tweeted about the inspiration behind this album; “We spent the last three years working on this record. Life has been incredibly hard for everyone around the world. We have all felt the loneliness. We’ve all felt the solidarity. We’ve all felt the fear. This album is meant to be a source of happiness.”
In an interview with USA Today magazine, Dan Reynolds spoke about the meaning behind the song; “That was one of the first songs I wrote for the record, maybe three years ago, which is so strange because people are going to think I wrote it during COVID. But it was really about embracing your sexuality and loving yourself and accepting yourself and accepting those who you love. I think also it’s trying to acknowledge the harm of toxic masculinity that can come from religion and rejecting our LGBTQ youth. But the song is not just LGBTQ-focused – it’s more about acceptance itself and how life is hard and it’s OK to share our hardships with each other.”
Listen to “It’s Ok” by Imagine Dragons
Buy ‘Mercury – Act 1’ album on Apple Music & Amazon
Imagine Dragons “It’s Ok” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1
At the start of the song, Imagine Dragons talks about a girl who hasn’t had the best experience with society so far. Maybe she is different from everyone else. Maybe she did not choose to be this way.
Society rarely takes into account how everyone feels. This girl hears what everyone else is saying about her. She cannot control what they say and she cannot control how she feels. She cannot even talk to someone else because not a lot of people are ready to hear what someone has to say. A lot of people have a lot of things to talk about, but less to listen to.
Chorus
In these lyrics, Imagine Dragons tries to console all these people who suffer within.
It’s okay to be not okay
Breathe in deep, just a day at a time
Verse 2
In the second verse, Imagine Dragons says that they are broken too. ‘Broken’ is the term used by society to describe anyone who does not fit the description of its definition of ‘normal.’
In this verse, the band talks to a boy who has been rejected by his friends for being ‘weak’ or not ‘masculine.’ He would not be invited to play with his friends because he is not the ‘sporty’ material.
Imagine Dragons says that the change in the current climate of society towards accepting everyone does help. But true change comes when people accept to change their thoughts and actions.
Bridge
Different people feel insecure and inadequate about different things about them. Some might not like how they look, some might not love how they are built, some might not like their voice, others might not want to be bisexual and be hated. But we are all built in different molds and the sooner society understands this simple concept, we can all be a whole lot happier.
Let us hear your thoughts about the song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.