Your Disease

Song: Your Disease
Artist: Saliva
Album: Every Six Seconds
Released: March 2001

Say what you like about rap-rock/metal, but this song is a classic. Sure it isn't a genre that we will look back on and say, "wow, music was at the top of its game back then". The genre as a whole is probably as opposite of timeless as you can get, and bands that were part of it, that still record music, have put forth great effort to remove themselves from it. Linkin Park is probably the only relevant band still standing that does anything of the sort, but even then it is so far removed from what I would deem as rap-rock/metal that it hardly counts. Mostly they have rap songs on rock albums. Still it remains a part of rock history and while I didn't really subscribe to a lot of it I was a fan of a small multitude of songs of the genre. In my opinion it was showcased best by Saliva, and there best was Your Disease. Some would say Rage Against the Machine or Limp Bizkit, and while the musicianship of Rage is probably better Zach De La Rocha (Rage Against the Machine vocalist) cannot sing, while Josey Scott (Saliva lead singer) can; and Limp Bizkit, is.... well there's not much to say is there? Plus I think Saliva has deeper rock roots than any of their contemporaries and that is more appealing to me personally.

If I had to sum this song up in two words, they would be epic "huah". "Huahs" are a great rock tool, but they don't find themselves in many rock songs these days, which is a pitty because they are so good for building energy and just adding to the overall coolness of the song. No "huah" was ever expressed better than Josey Scott's at the beginning of Your Disease. The verses may be rapped, but make no mistake this is purely a rock song. I have to admit that I never have paid much attention to the lyrics of this song, and I have never really tried to figure out any kind of meaning for it. I don't think will ever try, because I like it for what it is, a great rock song. I have selected it as the opening song for several compilation cd's that I intend to start a road trip off with or that I will listen to while exercising. It just has an energy to it that just makes you want to move to the music, or get up and do something. It's a very empowering song, and it's also a great celebration song. Celebration, that is the reason it makes my top 100.

Those of you who know me, know that I love football. Since I was 5 years old and my brother introduced me to the sport through the video game Tecmo Bowl, I have loved the sport in a manner that borders on worship. And so it was my luck to play on a team that never won a game in middle school, or on varsity through the first three years of high school. We won a couple games on JV my sophmore year, but I didn't count those because I was starting on Varsity by that point. Now this tradition of losing on varsity was one that dated back 5 years. So as fate would have it in my senior year the first week of the season was scheduled to be our homecoming night, which we felt did not bode well for a win, since our homecoming losing streak exceeded the length of our overall losing streak. For whatever reason whoever was in charge of our schedule felt that it would be a good idea if our most challenging game of the year, land on homecoming weekend. This particular year we were playing Dubois, a team none of us knew anything about and that our school had never played, that we could remember. So as far as we knew Dubois could be a contender for that state championship.

When Dubois took the field, we were delighted to see that they were actually our size. Almost every team we played in years past, and later that year, dwarfed us in size. We were not known for our physical size, but we played hard, it just usually wasn't enough to win. As the game began play we found that we were evenly matched but still we fell behind in the first half of the game, and much of the team began to feel that old "here we go again" sensation. There were those of us who refused to give up though, and while it was 12-0 in the second quarter we mounted a long scoring drive that closed out the quarter. Going into the second half we had momentum on our side, but that quickly went out the window when Dubois scored again, putting us at a 12 point deficit once more. Going into the 4th qtr. the score was 18-6 and Dubois was driving on us. Our defense forced a key turnover upon which we quickly scored. After kickoff our defense held strong forced a punt and then our offense made a long march down the field for a score. making the game 18-19. On Dubois' next possession, our defense forced another turnover, and on our first play on that series we scored on a reverse pass. To put the game farther out of reach we went for two and scored, making the game a two possession game. Dubois 18, My team 27. There was two minutes left, and all we needed to do was hold on defense. After allowing one more first down, we forced them out, giving us the schools first varsity win in over 5 years. It was one of the most glorious moments of my life. We celebrated like we had never won before, well because we never really had. In preparation for this moment we had high jacked one of my friends' home stereo systems so that we could fill the whole room with sound. I was one of the last to leave the field, and as I came to the locker room door I could hear Your Disease starting to play. As I opened the door Josey Scott wailed "Huah!" and the room filled with the blast of the guitars, screams, and tears of celebration. Pure Glory. It was a night I will never forget, and Your Disease has frozen that in time for me.


In one moment I'm goin' all the way
I make my poetry everyday
And I'm frozen comin' right on time
I froze my mind with that serious rhyme

And I'm open comin' up inside
You know, my mind has got a grand design
And I'm flowin', goin' all the way
I make my point to be everyday, come on

And I wanna take you down but your soul cannot be found
It doesn't matter much you see 'cause your disease is killin' me
And you know it's only right 'cause it feels like paradise
And I know nothin' is for free 'cause your disease is killin' me

My mind's broken, I'm goin' up in smoke
If you breathe my toke I'm guaranteein' you choke
And I'm chosen to testify the masses
Wear dark glasses like the cops in Texas

All knowin' it's not a premonition
Kill the competition like a man on a mission
I'm blowin', comin' up inside like the Bee Gees cry
I'm just stayin' alive, come on

And I wanna take you down but your soul cannot be found
It doesn't matter much you see 'cause your disease is killin' me
And you know it's only right 'cause it feels like paradise
And I know nothin' is for free 'cause your disease is killin' me

So now I'm finally goin' down
Can I find my way back home?
Now there's no one else around
Can I find my way back home?

Will I ever see the light
Even though I'm fallin'?
(Will there ever be any peace for me)
Even though I'm falling

(Will there ever be any peace for me)
Even though I'm falling
(Will there ever be any peace for me)

And I wanna take you down but your soul cannot be found
It doesn't matter much you see 'cause your disease is killin' me
And you know it's only right 'cause it feels like paradise
And I know nothin' is for free 'cause your disease is killin' me

And I wanna take you down but your soul cannot be found
It doesn't matter much you see 'cause your disease is killin' me
And you know it's only right 'cause it feels like paradise
And I know nothin' is for free 'cause your disease is killin' me