Down With Disease
Phish · Hampton/winston-Salem '97 [2011]
Three weeks in my bed
Trying to stop these demons that keep
Dancing in my head
Down with disease
And I'm up before the dawn
A thousand barefoot children outside
Dancing on my lawn
Dancing on my lawn, and I keep
Chorus
Waiting for the time when I can finally say
This has all been wonderful but now I'm on my way
But when I think it's time to leave it all behind
I try to find a way to
But there's nothing I can say to
Make it stop
(Stop, stop, stop, stop)
(Stop, stop, stop, stop)
(Stop, stop, stop, stop)
(Stop, stop, stop)
Down with disease
And the jungles in my mind
They're climbing up my waterfalls and
Swingin' on my vines
So I try to hear the music
But I'm always losing time
'Cause they're stepping on my rhythm and they're
Stealin' all my lines
Stealin' all my lines and I keep
[chorus]
Down With Disease
Phish's "Down With Disease" stands as a quintessential example of the band's improvisational mastery, recorded during their 1997 Hampton/Winston-Salem tour. The track exemplifies the group's signature blend of blues, rock, and jazz, characterized by extended instrumental explorations and a dynamic interplay between musicians. As a staple of their live catalog, the song showcases the band's ability to build tension and release within a single performance, often evolving organically from a simple blues progression into a complex, multi-layered composition. Its enduring popularity reflects the collective's commitment to live innovation and their unique approach to songwriting that prioritizes collective improvisation over rigid structure.

