Down with the Sickness

"Down with the Sickness"
Song

"Down With the Sickness" is a nu metal song by the 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 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 David 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 3:11 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.

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

Covers

The song 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?

In the media

• Played in a commercial for the U.S. Marine Corps
• Played in the 2005 film Green Street
• Played in The One
• Played in Queen of the Damned
• Played as the end themes in the 2004 film 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 Pittsburgh Pirates left-fielder Jason Bay use this song as they come up to bat.
• Played in the South Park episode, "With Apologies to Jesse Jackson", both in Cartman's fight with a little person, 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 on top of a leopard skin orangutan. Jonathan Campbell says yall da bitches.
• A short extract from the song is played in the CSI: Miami episode "Urban Hellraisers".
• Beginning played in The Second City play "Bird Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest"
• The song is also the entry music for the Los Angeles Angels Rally Monkey.
• Played at Texas Stadium for the Dallas Cowboys when the starters are introduced.
• Played at Delaware Stadium when the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team enters the stadium.