Disease
Dokken Lyrics


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You never saw me comin'
With your naive eyes
You're the right kind of spirit
With the right kind of time
Now you don't pay attention
We get off with a bang
Your reckless obsession
Washed away all your shine

I'm you disease

You embrace my infection
When I cross your lips
You pretend not to notice
When I tighten my grip
I'm your brand-new monkey
On your back if you please
Gonna show you no mercy
When I feed your disease

I'm your disease

I could never ignore you
Any time that we meet
No sign of it slowin'
When you're dead on your feet
I'm your brand-new monkey
On your back if you please
Gonna show you no mercy
When I feed your disease





I'm your disease

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Disease" by Dokken describe a toxic relationship where the singer is the "disease" that is infecting the other person. The song suggests that the other person was initially attracted to the singer's "reckless obsession" and "right kind of spirit," but now that obsession has consumed them and the singer exerts a tight grip over them, acting as a brand-new monkey on their back. The singer takes pleasure in feeding the other person's addiction or disease, and even though they may feel dead on their feet, they keep coming back for more. The song portrays the singer as a predator, and the other person as a weak-willed victim who can't resist their charms.


Line by Line Meaning

You never saw me comin'
You were completely unaware of my presence.


With your naive eyes
You were too innocent to recognize the danger I pose.


You're the right kind of spirit
You have the right attitude for me to exploit.


With the right kind of time
You have enough free time to devote to me.


Now you don't pay attention
You've stopped caring about anything other than me.


We get off with a bang
Our interactions are always exciting and potentially dangerous.


Your reckless obsession
Your extreme fixation is causing you to lose your sense of judgement.


Washed away all your shine
Your previous good qualities have been overshadowed and lost.


You embrace my infection
You willingly accept my negative influence on you.


When I cross your lips
When I enter your life or thoughts.


You pretend not to notice
You ignore your better judgement and refuse to acknowledge the damage I'm doing.


When I tighten my grip
When I have more and more control over you.


I'm your brand-new monkey
I'm the new addiction or dependency in your life.


On your back if you please
You are willing to carry me around and continue our unhealthy relationship.


Gonna show you no mercy
I will continue to harm you without any regard for your wellbeing.


When I feed your disease
When I perpetuate your toxic behavior and enable your harmful addiction.


I could never ignore you
I am always present in your life and thoughts.


Any time that we meet
Every instance of interaction is negative for you.


No sign of it slowin'
Your addiction is not getting better or improving.


When you're dead on your feet
Even when you're exhausted and at your lowest point, I won't let up.


I'm your brand-new monkey
I'm the new addiction or dependency in your life.


On your back if you please
You are willing to carry me around and continue our unhealthy relationship.


Gonna show you no mercy
I will continue to harm you without any regard for your wellbeing.


When I feed your disease
When I perpetuate your toxic behavior and enable your harmful addiction.


I'm your disease
I am the negative influence and addiction in your life that you can't shake off.




Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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