Down with Disease

"Down with Disease" is a 1994 song by American band Phish. It is the second track from their 1994 album Hoist and was released as their fifth promotional single by Elektra Records. The song is a funk rock song written by Phish guitarist and lead vocalist Trey Anastasio and lyricist Tom Marshall. The song's lyrics were based on a bout with infectious mononucleosis suffered by Marshall.

Contents

• Track listing
• Personnel
• Also appears on
• References

"Down with Disease" reached #33 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was first played live December 31, 1993, as a jam without lyrics.

If ever a Phish song came along at just the right moment, it was “Down with Disease.” Upset with the perceived radio-friendly appeal of Hoist, some fans were poised to rebel against the album and the songs it contained. While it would take sibling “Wolfman’s Brother” almost three full years to develop, “Down with Disease” jammed the first time it hit the stage and proved to the naysayers that Phish was still writing songs that they intended to stretch out live.

A music video was created for the song, directed by Phish bassist Mike Gordon, that showed the members of the band scuba diving through an aquarium. The music video is the only one that has been produced by the band during its 30-year career. The video appeared a few times on MTV, including an abbreviated version on Beavis and Butt-head.

In concert, "Down With Disease" has spanned from three, to ten, to over twenty minutes, often featuring full band improvisation. The longest standalone rendition of this song was the December 12th 1995 performance, which clocked in at 31 minutes and 20 seconds before segueing into "The Lizards".