Down with the Sickness

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“Down With the Sickness”
“Down With the Sickness” cover
Single by Disturbed
from the album The Sickness
Released June 16, 2000
Recorded 1999
Genre Nu metal
Length 4:38
Label Giant Records / Wea
Writer(s) Dan Donegan, Steve "Fuzz" Kmak, David Draiman, Mike Wengren
Producer Johnny K
Disturbed singles chronology
"Voices"
(2000)
"Down with the Sickness"
(2001)
"The Game"
(2001)

"Down With the Sickness" is a single by American rock band Disturbed. The song was recorded in late 1999, and was featured on their 2000 debut album, The Sickness. One of its more memorable traits is David Draiman's percussive staccato howl and ape-like grunts which ends the ascending intro and leads to the first bridge of the song (approximately thirty one seconds into it). It is also well known for a "child abuse" segment not played in radio-friendly versions. The "child abuse" segment has vocalist Draiman portraying a boy begging his mom not to hit him anymore, after which it shifts to bitter and extremely profane words toward the mother. It can be heard about 3:28 into the uncut version. The song has become one of Disturbed's best-known songs and is their only single to have gone Gold.

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.[citation needed]

A music video was produced for the song, which is composed of live concert footage. The music video includes the "child abuse" segment.

The song rose to number 5 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks, number 8 on the Modern Rock Tracks in September 2001, and number 31 in the Hot Ringtones category, making it one of Disturbed's most successful songs. The song has been used in numerous movies and TV shows.

[edit] Covers

The song has been covered by the following artists:

[edit] In the media