"Down" is a song by the band

311 311 may refer to: * 311 (number), a natural number * AD 311, a year of the Julian calendar, in the fourth century AD * 311 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 311 (band), an American band ** ''311'' (album), band 311's self-titled album ...

. It is the first song on their third album, ''

''. It was their first #1 single on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

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, and along with their self-titled album, was largely responsible for launching them into mainstream success. An accompanying video for the song was in rotation on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

at the time of its release. Due to its massive popularity it was also included as the first song on their live album, ''

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

'', and on their greatest hits album, ''

Greatest Hits '93–'03 ''Greatest Hits '93–'03'' is the first compilation album by 311. It was released on June 8, 2004 on Volcano Entertainment. Track listing # " Down" (from '' 311'') – 2:51 # " Flowing" (from '' Soundsystem'') – 3:10 # " All Mixed Up" (from ' ...

''. Since its release it has also become a staple of their live concerts, and is usually dedicated "to all the old-school 311 fans." However, following the

terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...

, it was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel. "Down" was released as

downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...

for the

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'' on October 2, 2012. It has also been featured in other video games such as

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, and

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Composition

On the lyrical inspiration, Nick Hexum said, "It was the idea, 'If I ever didn't thank you, then just let me do it now.' It was both to our fans and me saying to the other band members, 'What a trip it's been to come from Nebraska, with pretty much nothing but a dream, and then to see it come true, and the unity we have in the band - the all for one, one for all spirit.'" "Down" contains

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vocals,

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

guitars and turntable scratches. At '' Spin'', the song was compared to the band

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...

, and described it as having a "dynamic" verse.

Music video

The music video consists of the band performing in a warehouse and includes scenes of the band members singing the song in various backgrounds, such as a rotating coin, a circle with flowing sparks, dancing in front of a paper wall display. Also included are scenes in which the band members are meditating with an obese spiritual man who sometimes floats in the air through the power of meditation while one of the band members experiences it.

Track listing

Charts

Cover versions

*Grindcore band

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parodied the song on their 1997 album ''I Like It When You Die'' with the title "311 Sucks." It features the riff of "Down" and rapped gibberish nonsense lyrics, concluding with lead singer Seth Putnam screaming "You fucking suck!"I Like It When You Die Liner Notes *On July 20, 2018,

The Offspring The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...

released a cover version of this song, while 311 released a "reggaefied" version of the latter's "

Self Esteem Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...

". Those cover versions coincided with the beginning of their 2018 Never Ending Summer co-tour.

References

External links

* {{authority control 1996 singles 311 (band) songs Songs written by Nick Hexum Songs written by SA Martinez 1995 songs Capricorn Records singles