Spinal Meningitis (Got Me Down)
by Ween

Album: Chocolate And Cheese (1994)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is a song about a child suffering painful spinal meningitis, a disease that is hard to detect and can kill a person if left unchecked. The lyrics "smile on, mighty Jesus" and "am I gonna see God, Mommy?" imply that Ween might be angry at religion.
  • This song features a triangle as its main instrument. If you listen during the guitar solo, you can hear the haunting screams of the child. Voice synthesizers are used for both the child's voice and the deep mimicking voice. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Andrew - Abyss, PA, for above 2
  • The line "smile on, mighty Jesus" is a play on words - it sounds very much like "Spinal Meningitis." Many rural folk refer to the deadly infection as "The Smilin' Mighty Jesus" or a similar name. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Timothy - Columbus, OH

Comments: 13

  • Dr Rock from Pork City Pennsylvania I love this song and am happy so many people find it challenging and disturbing. Lighten up and get over yourselves. You may enjoy life a little more. P.S. I find religion terrifying but I still find time to laugh at it. o_O
  • Ummm from No ThanksThis song is so disturbing I can’t stop thinking about it... I don’t know what to think just so unsettling and scary it was hard to make it though the whole song
  • Chris from Minneapolis This song really reaches a place in me that I need to explore once in a while. It's a horrible place that I hope to never experience in real life. It is a place that many people have been and this song is an outlet for me to empathize in some way. It also may just help me if I'm ever in a similar situation.

    I had a coworker that lost his 12 year old daughter to meningitis. She went from normal to fever and delirium to passed away in 3 days. It was the hardest funeral I have ever attended. Everyone was just in shock.

    This song is not for everyone. Some may find it sick and disgusting, but I find value in its darkness.
  • Quint from AlbertaWillie, I think you may have missed the entire point of ween.
    They were excellent musicians, clever lyrics and while on occasion "tasteless" the deeper point to the songs was quite positive and usually polar opposite to what was projected by the title or the obvious lyric. There are layers to ween and once you get it then it all comes together.

    Also as a side note I don't think the main instrument is a triangle but rather a glockenspiel.
    Its a little difficult to play a scale on a triangle.
  • Willie from Scottsdale, AzWeen was a pathetic, talentless band, and the world is better for their demise. Period.
  • Erin from Clarksville, PaSo true, Dedgrotty!! Haha, "Me and Little Andy." If this is the only song that people know from Ween, they need to explore Ween's discography. More disturbimg thimgs to discover! I love Dean and Gene.
  • Dedgrotty from Nyc, NyCertainly no more disturbing than Dolly Parton's "Me And Little Andy". At least with the Brothers Ween you see a song like this coming ;)
  • Adam from Norwich, EnglandI really like this song. The first time i heard it, I was shocked but it was such a catchy song that i couldn't get it out of my head. Brilliant song despite what anyone else says.
  • Eric from Central Coast, AustraliaI love this song, Yest a lot of peole i have plyed it to also find it disturbing. I think the use of the simalar sounding lyric smile on mighty Jesus / Spinal Meningitis is brilliant. This Chocolate and Cheese album is their best in my opinion.. Love the Gene and Dean.
  • Amy from Little Rock, ArI don't know why i have this song... i think it was just a free download i'd never heard of and never listened to after i got it. it came on my ipod at work and i literally stopped what i was doing and was genuinly scared. im haunted by this song more than most horror movies i've seen. worst song i've ever heard in my life.
  • Ash from Charleston, WvNo, NOT disturbingly funny. I find no humor in listening to a little girl crying "am I going to die?" to her mother.
  • David from Pepperell, MaDisturbingly funny
  • Ash from Charleston, WvThis is probably the most disturbing song I have ever heard.
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