Introduction
“We All Fall Down” is the fifth track on Side 1 of The Osmonds’ fourth studio album, Crazy Horses, released October 1972. Recorded at MGM Recording Studios between March and June of 1972, Crazy Horses marked the family’s deliberate shift from their earlier bubblegum-pop and soulful teen-idol image into a harder, guitar-driven rock sound . Produced by Alan Osmond alongside rising talent Michael Lloyd, the album peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold in January 1973.
Unlike the album’s two charting singles (“Hold Her Tight” and “Crazy Horses”), “We All Fall Down” was never released as a standalone. Nevertheless, the track exemplifies the Osmonds’ collaborative songwriting approach: it’s credited to Alan, Jay, Merrill and Wayne Osmond and was recorded in a single session on June 23, 1972. Their decision to write more of their own material was spurred by a desire to maintain moral integrity in their lyrics, as members of the group later recalled .
Musically, “We All Fall Down” weaves the album’s heavy rock and proto-metal influences with the band’s trademark vocal harmonies. Though brief at under three minutes, the song drives forward on a taut rhythm section laid down by Jay Osmond’s dynamic drumming and Merrill Osmond’s lead vocals . Horn arrangements by session great Jim Horn add a subtle blues-rock accent, illustrating the Osmonds’ willingness to experiment beyond their early pop-rock roots ,
While it never charted, “We All Fall Down” has earned a quiet legacy among devoted Osmonds fans as a deep-cut highlight. Its lyrics—underscoring human vulnerability and the inevitability of setbacks—resonate within the larger narrative of Crazy Horses’ exploration of resilience in the face of adversity. In this way, the track remains an integral piece of The Osmonds’ 1972 rock-era reinvention and their broader evolution as self-producing songwriters.