A Gentle Plea for Clarity Amidst the Echoes of a Vanished Youth: Finding the Soul Within the Harmonious Questioning of a Brotherly Legacy
The year was 1975, a time when the world was shifting from the bubblegum innocence of the early seventies into something a bit more weathered, a bit more introspective. It was during this transition that The Osmonds—the quintessential family of pop—released their album The Proud One. Nestled within that collection was a track that often escapes the loud, frantic playlists of modern radio but remains a cherished sanctuary for those of us who remember the quiet moments of that era: “What Could It Be?” While it didn’t reach the dizzying heights of their chart-topping anthem “Love Me for a Reason” or the solo frenzy of Donny Osmond‘s teen-idol peaks, this specific song carved out a niche for the mature listener. It acted as a bridge between the vibrant, youthful energy of their variety show days and a deeper, more soulful exploration of the human condition.
To understand “What Could It Be?“, one must first appreciate the climate of the Billboard charts at the time. The brothers were navigating a world that was beginning to favor the grit of disco and the polish of soft rock. While the album The Proud One saw its title track climb to No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, “What Could It Be?” served as the emotional ballast of the record. It wasn’t designed to be a dance-floor filler; it was designed for the late-night hour, for the flickering light of a turntable in a living room where the day’s worries finally began to settle. It was a showcase for the family’s impeccable vocal blend—a harmony so tight it could only have been forged through years of shared breaths and a singular, genetic intuition.
The story behind this song is one of artistic evolution. By the mid-70s, The Osmonds—consisting of Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, and Donny—were striving to be taken seriously as more than just a “teenybopper” act. They were maturing, and with that maturity came a desire to sing about the complexities of love and the existential “what ifs” that haunt a growing heart. Written and produced with the sophisticated touch of Mike Curb‘s production style, the song explores the vulnerability of a man standing on the precipice of a new emotion, unsure if what he feels is a fleeting shadow or the foundation of a lifetime.
When we listen to the lyrics today, we aren’t just hearing a melody; we are hearing the sound of our own past. The song asks a fundamental question: What is this feeling that defies name and explanation? It captures that universal moment of hesitation when a friendship turns into something more profound, or when a familiar love suddenly reveals a new, breathtaking depth. The arrangement is lush yet restrained, allowing the lead vocals—often characterized by Merrill Osmond‘s soulful, slightly gravelly power—to soar above a tapestry of strings that feel like a warm embrace.
For those of us who lived through the golden age of vinyl, this track evokes the scent of old wood, the warmth of a heavy knit sweater, and the bittersweet realization that time is the only thing we cannot hold onto. It reminds us of a period when music didn’t just play in the background; it sat with us. It spoke to our private hopes. The Osmonds managed to capture a sense of longing that feels remarkably contemporary even decades later. It is a song about the mystery of the heart, a testament to the fact that even in our most certain years, we are still capable of being surprised by the “what could be.” It remains a masterpiece of understated elegance, a soft-focus photograph of a time when the world seemed both smaller and infinitely more full of possibility.