Phish - Down with Disease

About "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.

"Down with Disease" was Phish's breakthrough single on American rock radio, reaching #33 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in June 1994. It was first played live December 31, 1993, as a jam without lyrics. "Down with Disease" was released as a single by Elektra on both CD and cassette. The compact disc version of the single was a promotional item issued to radio stations, while the cassette edition was issued to retail. The CD only includes "Down with Disease", while the cassette also contains "NO2", an experimental musique concrète composition that features dental drill sound effects. A different recording of "NO2" appeared on the band's 1986 demo release The White Tape.

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".