| ## Story behind the song | |
| "Down With the Sickness" was one of the first songs written after the band's formation in 1997. | |
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| + | "Down With the Sickness" is famous for its "ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah" staccato noise from Disturbed's frontman [[David Draiman]] at the end of the intro, which reappears from time to time throughout the song. Draiman has stated the sound was made possible by effects on his vocal cords after receiving surgery for acid reflux, but he has dismissed the rumor the noise was actually caused by heartburn, further explaining, "I mean the song originally was written and just had a pause. Mikey's beat is just so tribal and you know it just made me feel like an animal... [The noise] came out one day." <ref name="yt1">{{cite YouTube.com|url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbGY-bsqYic"|title="Disturbed Dispelling The Rumor Behind Down with the Sickness"}}</ref> |
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| + | However, the band has denied that this song is about literal child abuse and that it is instead about a metaphoric abuse. Lead singer Dave Draiman explained that the screamed psychodramas like "Down With The Sickness" are merely inspired by personal history, not a literal journal of his own tortured upbringing. "I'm really talking about the conflict between the mother culture of society, who's beating down the child yearning for independence and individuality, and the submission of the child." <ref name="pnt1">{{cite PhoenixNewTimes.com|url="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/disturbed-and-disturberer-6408263"|title="'Disturbed & Disturberer' by Jimmy Magahern"}}</ref> |
| - | > It's kind of weird because I try to write these songs cryptically so that it's open to self-interpretation. But then, so many people take the songs literally. I mean, what do you do about all these kids who are thanking you for dealing with abuse in one of your songs, when that wasn't the point? <ref name="pnt1"/><br><br> |
| - | There were so many kids who found greater meaning in the literal notion of thinking that it was about a specific abuse situation, that I finally had to let go of my grander notions and just say 'Have at it.' I'm not going to tell you what this song should make you feel. If that's how it makes you feel, and it helps you deal with that situation and come to terms with it, then use it. That's what music is for. <ref name="pnt1"/> |
| + | "'Down With The Sickness,' for instance, wasn't meant to be an indictment specifically against parents - certainly nothing specifically against my own," Draiman insists. "The record was an indictment of this whole way of life, this set of morals and ethics and rules, that was laid down by the norm in society." <ref name="pnt1"/> |
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| + | "It's kind of weird because I try to write these songs cryptically, so that it's open to self-interpretation," he says. "But then, so many people take the songs literally. I mean, what do you do about all these kids who are thanking you for dealing with abuse in one of your songs, when that really wasn't the point? <ref name="pnt1"/> |
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| + | "There were so many kids who found greater meaning in the literal notion of thinking that it was about a specific abuse situation, that I finally had to let go of my grander notions and just say Have at it.' I'm not going to tell you what this song should make you feel. If that's how it makes you feel, and it helps you deal with that situation and come to terms with it, then use it. That's what music is for." <ref name="pnt1"/> |
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| + | The song has been used often as entrance music in sports. |
| ## Music videos | |
| - | ### Album version of the song |
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| - | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6tZ8ySKrO0 |
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| ### Official music video | |
| - | Nathan Cox directed the official video for the song, <ref>{{cite IMDb.com|url="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6113398/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7"|title="Disturbed: Down with the Sickness (2001)"}}</ref> which features shots of the live performance |
| + | Nathan Cox directed the official video for the song, <ref>{{cite IMDb.com|url="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6113398/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7"|title="Disturbed: Down with the Sickness (2001)"}}</ref> which features shots of the live performance of the band. |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LTT0xwdfw | |
| ### Live version | |
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| + | The song is one of Disturbed's best-known songs and is a concert staple, usually played as the last song. |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G19UqSnNuO8 | |
| *Live at Rock am Ring 2008, Germany.* | |
| ### Guitars | |
| #### Dan Donegan | |
| - | For the recording of the album, [[Dan Donegan]] used **Gibson Les Paul Standard** and **Gibson SG**. But after the release of the album, he switched to **PRS single-cut guitars**, which can be seen in the official video. |
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| - | *Gibson Les Paul Standard.* |
| + | For the recording of the album, [[Dan Donegan]] used Gibson Les Paul Standards and Gibson SGs. Soon after the release of the album, he switched to PRS single-cut guitars, which can be seen in the official video. |
| #### Steve Kmak | |
| - | [[Steve Kmak]] used five-string **Music Man StingRay basses**. |
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| - | *Steve Kmak with his five-string Music Man StingRay bass.* |
| + | Kmak used Music Man StingRay basses, usually 5-string. |
| ### Amps and effects | |
| #### Dan Donegan | |
| - | |
| + | **Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier amp head** with Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 cabs. |
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| + | According to an interview in 2000, Donegan also used the **BOSS PH-2 Super Phaser**, a **Dunlop Crybaby Wah**, and an **Ernie Ball Volume pedal**. He also used a **BBE Sonic Maximizer**. <ref>{{cite denyaristya.wordpress.com|url="https://denyaristya.wordpress.com/tag/disturbed/"|title="Disturbed, 'Another Way to Die' — New Song"}}</ref> |
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| + | #### Steve Kmak |
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| + | |
| ### Amp settings | |
| - | + Gain - 8-9 |
| - | + Treble - 9 |
| - | + Mids - 4 |
| - | + Bass - 7-8 |
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| ## Tuning | |
| - | Guitars: [[drop C |
| + | Guitars: [[drop C# tuning]] (C# G# C# F# A# D#). |
| - | |
| + | Bass: drop C# tuning (C# G# C# F#). |
| ## Song key | |
| The song is written in the key E minor. | |
| ## Techniques | |
| - | Dan Donegan is the only guitar player in the band, though this song contains two separate guitar lines. The second guitar appears throughout the whole song except the [[chorus (song part)|choruses]]. |
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| ### Song breakdown | |
| The song has the following [[Song structure|structure]]: | |
| **[[Intro]] - [[Verse]] 1 - [[Pre-chorus]] 1 - [[Chorus (song part)|Chorus]] 1 - [[Verse]] 2 - [[Pre-chorus]] 2 - [[Chorus (song part)|Chorus]] 2 - [[Bridge (song part)|Bridge]] - [[Interlude]] - [[Chorus (song part)|Chorus]] 3** | |
| - | The song starts with a series of [[dead note|muted]] strums; then it goes to the [[palm-muted]] single note intro riff. After the first staccato vocals of David Draiman, the main guitar starts playing [[power chords]]. |
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| - | For the [[verse|verses]], [[palm-muted]] [[power chords]] are used (in fact, there is only one power chord repeated). During the verses, the second guitar plays a line, which consists of single notes with several [[natural harmonics]]. |
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| - | In the [[pre-chorus|pre-choruses]], the main guitar plays a riff on the sixth string, while the second continues the lines from the verses. |
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| - | In the [[chorus (song part)|choruses]], the main guitar performs a mix of [[power chords]] with [[natural harmonics]]. Also, take note of the long [[slide (technique)|slide]] with [[vibrato]] in the middle of the chorus. The transition between the first chorus and the second verse is created with a slide too. |
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| - | The [[bridge (song part)|bridge]] is performed with a lot of [[slide (technique)|slides]], [[vibrato|vibratos]], and [[dead note|dead notes]]. The second guitar plays simple single notes. |
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| - | The interlude after the bridge is rhythmically the same as the intro line. |
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| ## Recommended lessons | |
| ### Dan Donegan's guitar lesson | |
| - | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySD5VP621l8 |
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| - | ### Guitar tutorial with tabs |
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| - | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om7EM1_7AhU |
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| - | ### Guitar lesson |
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| - | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aJx49N6vQ8 |
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| - | ### Bass cover |
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| - | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIo5_ePQel8 |
| + | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySD5VP621l8 |