That Inevitable Pull of Home: A Sweet Pop Ode to a Runaway’s Return
Ah, the 1970s. A time when bell-bottoms were wide, hair was feathered, and pop music, particularly the teen idol variety, offered a shimmering, irresistible escape. For many of us, the sight of a young, undeniably charming Shaun Cassidy on a magazine cover or a TV screen—fresh off the success of The Hardy Boys—was a highlight of the era. His sophomore album, the Platinum-selling Born Late, released in October 1977, was a testament to his burgeoning career. While the album is perhaps best remembered for the major hits “Hey Deanie” and “Do You Believe in Magic?”, it contained a delightful, lesser-known gem that perfectly captured a wistful kind of pop yearning: “Carolina’s Comin’ Home.”
Despite the immense popularity of the album Born Late—which itself peaked at a respectable number 6 on the US album chart—the track “Carolina’s Comin’ Home” was not released as a single in the United States. It did, however, see a single release in the United Kingdom, but it was unable to crack the major charts there. Thus, for many of us stateside, it remains an album track, a delightful discovery tucked away on the B-side of the vinyl, which perhaps lends it a more personal, nostalgic feel. It’s the song you stumbled upon when you played the whole record, deepening your affection for the young star beyond the bubblegum hits.
The song itself is a perfect slice of late ’70s pop, brimming with melodic urgency and youthful sincerity. The story behind the song isn’t an original conceived by Cassidy himself; it’s a cover. The song was originally recorded by the British pop groups Vanity Fare in 1970 and more notably by White Plains in 1971. The songwriting is credited to a strong team of British composers: Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Tony Hiller, and John Goodison. Cook and Greenaway, in particular, were a highly successful duo, penning hits for various artists. The fact that Cassidy, or his producers, chose to cover this particular track—a song about regret, forgiveness, and the journey back—speaks to its enduring, universal appeal.
Lyrically, the song is a heartfelt celebration of a much-anticipated return. It tells the simple, poignant story of a young man whose sweetheart, Carolina, had perhaps strayed, breaking the rules (“Running around with a new guy each day”) but who has since realized her mistake and is now making the journey back. The singer’s relief is palpable, a rush of forgiving love overshadowing any past hurt: “Carolina’s comin’, she wrote me a letter / Askin’ did I love her or did I forget her / Nearly broke my heart when I said goodbye and kissed her / Carolina’s comin’ home, I know that I’ve missed her.” It’s a sweet, uncomplicated message: love waits, and home is where the heart truly belongs, regardless of how far one wanders.
For those of us who came of age during that time, this song evokes a powerful wave of nostalgia. It reminds us of a time when the stakes felt simultaneously monumental and incredibly small. The drama of a girlfriend running off and then returning felt like the biggest crisis in the world, yet the resolution was always found in a three-minute pop song. The song’s upbeat arrangement, featuring bright, rolling piano chords and a driving beat, perfectly captures that rush of pure, unadulterated happiness. It’s a sonic photograph of a time when youth felt limitless, and even heartbreak was just a temporary detour before the joyful reunion. It’s a warm, welcome blast from the past, reminding us that sometimes, the simplest songs about coming home are the ones that resonate deepest years later.