Down with the Sickness

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"Down with the Sickness"

Single by Disturbed
from the album The Sickness
Released	7 March 2000
Recorded	1999
Genre	Nu metal
Length	4:38
Label	Giant Records / Wea
Writer(s)	David Draiman
Producer(s)	Johnny K
Chart positions
#5 (U.S Mainstream) #8 (U.S Modern)
Disturbed singles chronology
"Voices" (2000)	"Down with the Sickness" (2001)	"The Game" (2001)

"Down with the Sickness" is a nu metal song by the band Disturbed. The song was recorded circa 1999, and was featured on their 2000 album, The Sickness. One of its more memorable traits is the scream at the beginning of the song (approximately thirty one seconds into it). It is also well known for "child abuse" segment not played in radio-friendly versions. The "child abuse" segment has vocalist David Draiman portraying a boy begging his mom not to hit him anymore, after which it shifts to bitter and extremely profane words towards the mother. It can be heard about 3:27 into the uncut version. "Down with the Sickness" has become one of Disturbed's best-known songs.

The actual meaning behind the "child abuse" segment is based on society. Draiman has stated that it is meant to be "Mother Society" beating her child who is different. It is a satire on how society looks down on anything not conformed to "the mainstream." It is, in fact, not to convey actual child abuse. [Note! Islamic Prayer used on livetracks raises suspicion the lyric author is confirming reports of child abuse from young girls forced by their familys to marry much older men they dont love in to slave like existens in the mans household in the middleast may take their pain out on the sons of their tyrannic husbands.]

A music video was produced for the song, which is composed of live concert footage.

[edit] Covers

It has been covered by the following artists:

Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine on their 2002 album, Tuxicity and the soundtrack to Dawn of the Dead
"Weird Al" Yankovic, as one of the songs in the polka medley "Angry White Boy Polka" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat
Seth and Willie Fred on their 2006 album, LIVE?.

[edit] In the media

Played in The One.
Played in Queen of the Damned.
Played as the end themes in the 2004 movie Dawn of the Dead along with the version by Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine featuring in the middle of the movie.
A remake was used for Monty Brown's entrance theme music when he was in TNA.
Deceased wrestler Chris Cash used the song as his theme in Combat Zone Wrestling.
The early parts of this song are played in the arenas of different cities during some bull rides held on the PBR's Built Ford Tough Series.
Frank Cattalanatto and Jason Bay use this song as their at-bat music when they come up to bat.
Played in the South Park episode, "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson", both in Cartman's fight with a midget, and in the end credits.
Played before Houston Texans NFL games as players enter the field via the tunnel.
Played with a pre-kickoff video before Kansas City Chiefs games during the 2006 season. The video begins showing a skyline of the opposing team's city skyline (i.e. Oakland, CA for the Raiders) thirty minutes prior to kickoff and shows a Chiefs' Arrowhead emerging from the street flying by buildings which, thanks to the speed of the arrowhead, shatters the sides of the buildings to reveal Chiefs highlights. The arrowhead then makes it way to Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium where it destroys the opposing team's helmet shown going head-to-head with a Chiefs helmet.