The Downfall of Us All

McKinnon was driving to Ocala, Florida when the chorus guitar riff to "The Downfall of Us All" came to him, sometime in September 2008. Upon arriving at his mom's house, he got an acoustic guitar and worked the song out.{{cite web |last=Karan |first=Tim |url=http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/rblb_adtr |title=Right Brain/Left Brain: A Day To Remember's "The Downfall Of Us All" - Alternative Press |publisher=Altpress.com |date=April 17, 2009 |accessdate=July 10, 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002231252/http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/rblb_adtr |archivedate=October 2, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} Shortly before playing at a gig, the band practiced a breakdown in A cappella, McKinnon proceeded to say that it would be a good idea to open Homesick (2009) with it, to which his bandmates said "Are you retarded? Yeah, we'll see when it's recorded." The song's lyrics are about pressure when it comes to songwriting and the attempt to make people happy because of it.

New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, who produced Homesick, was shown a demo of the song. The band immediately told him that it would be the album's opening track. Gilbert said: "in my opinion, first songs are often the first thing people hear, so it should almost encompass the whole record. [...] I feel if you never heard the band before, and you hear "Downfall," it's a perfect introduction."

"The Downfall of Us All" was posted on the group's Myspace profile on January 26, 2009,{{cite web |last=Reid |first=Sean |url=http://www.alterthepress.com/2009/01/new-day-to-remember-song-posted_28.html |title=New A Day To Remember Song Posted |publisher=Alter The Press! |date=January 2009 |accessdate=May 11, 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927064709/http://www.alterthepress.com/2009/01/new-day-to-remember-song-posted_28.html |archivedate=September 27, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} prior to its release on Homesick.{{cite web |last=DeAndrea |first=Joe |url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=780692 |title=A Track Listing to Remember - News Article |publisher=AbsolutePunk.net |date=January 6, 2009 |accessdate=May 15, 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130729154222/http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=780692 |archivedate=July 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} A music video premiered through MTV2 on March 3.{{cite web|author=Torben |url=http://www.allschools.de/news/entry/55236?25 |title=Allschools Network - News A DAY TO REMEMBER unterschreiben bei Victory |publisher=allschools |date=February 25, 2009 |accessdate=August 2, 2013|language=de}} The track was released to alternative radio stations on May 26.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/mail/archive/eweekly/alternative/2009-5-19.html|title=AllAccess.com Alternative eWeekly|work=AllAccess|date=May 19, 2009|accessdate=July 2, 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821233339/http://www.allaccess.com/mail/archive/eweekly/alternative/2009-5-19.html|archivedate=August 21, 2016|df=mdy-all}} In February 2014, the track was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=A+DAY+TO+REMEMBER&ti=&lab=&genre=&format=&date_option=release&from=&to=&award=&type=&category=&adv=SEARCH|title=Gold & Platinum - RIAA|publisher=RIAA|accessdate=April 1, 2016}}

AllMusic reviewer James Christopher Monger said "The Downfall of Us All" would gain an extra "life in countless montages on MTV reality shows and 30-second cola commercials".{{cite web|last=Monger |first=James Christopher |title=Homesick - A Day to Remember |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1683364|pure_url=yes}} |website=Allmusic |accessdate=October 26, 2009}} Brendan Manley of Alternative Press called the song an "explosive opening track" that "sets not just the sonic tone" for the follow tracks, but also the record's "thematic bent, too."{{cite web|url=https://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/review_archive_homesick|title=A Day To Remember Homesick |publisher=Altpress.com|author=Manley, Brendan |date=July 14, 2009 |accessdate=April 6, 2018}} Rock on Request reviewer Anthony Avina listed the song, alongside "Welcome to the Family" and "Homesick", as examples that displayed the group's "wide range of talent" on the album.{{cite web|last=Avina |first=Anthony |url=http://www.rockonrequest.com/id312.html |title=A Day To Remember – 'Homesick' |publisher=Rock on Request |accessdate=May 11, 2013 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002184438/http://www.rockonrequest.com/id312.html |archivedate=October 2, 2013 }} Sputnikmusic's John Hanson said the song's intro was "just one example of embarrassing decisions" by the group "to include “memorable” moments in songs."{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=28982 |title=A Day to Remember – Homesick (staff review) |website=Sputnikmusic |date=February 4, 2009 |accessdate=March 3, 2011}}

Digital download

1. "The Downfall of Us All" – 3:29

Promotional CD

1. "The Downfall of Us All" – 3:31
2. "The Downfall of Us All (instrumental)" – 3:22

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=A Day to Remember|title=The Downfall of Us All|award=Gold|relyear=2009|certyear=2014|accessdate=30 September 2014}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|streaming=true | nosales=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{A Day to Remember}}

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Category:A Day to Remember songs

Category:2009 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Chad Gilbert

Category:Song recordings produced by Jeremy McKinnon

Category:Songs written by Jeremy McKinnon

Category:Songs written by Tom Denney

Category:Victory Records singles