| Infected | |
| Cover: | Bad Religion Infected.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bad Religion |
| Album: | Stranger Than Fiction |
| Released: | 1994 |
| Recorded: | 1994 |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 4:08 |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: |
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| Prev Title: | 21st Century (Digital Boy) |
| Prev Year: | 1994 |
| Next Title: | Incomplete |
| Next Year: | 1995 |
"Infected" is a song by American punk rock band Bad Religion, written by Brett Gurewitz. It was released as a single in 1994 and appears on their eighth studio album Stranger Than Fiction. Along with "21st Century (Digital Boy)", "Infected" is considered to be their breakthrough song, as it received airplay from modern rock radio stations. It is also a live staple for the band.
During the 1990s, frontman Greg Graffin used to sing "don't be mad about it, Bobby", referring to then-drummer Bobby Schayer, instead of "don't be mad about it, baby".
It was a mid-tempo song. Gurewitz said: "Nirvana had proven that as long as the tempo doesn't freak anybody out, you can get on the radio with loud guitars. 'Infected' was my attempt at writing a grunge song."[3] [4]
The song is about a dark, unhealthy romance where one partner is "afflicted" and the other is "addicted".[3]
AllMusic claimed the song along with "Television" are the "two least effective songs of their 15 years."[5] Billboard described the song as "not for the musak crowd, but it is an absolute must for programmers of modern rock radio.[6]
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 33[7] |
| Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 27[8] |