When Youthful Love Hangs in the Balance
A tender plea for commitment when facing life’s toughest decisions.
Do you remember that time in 1977? The air was charged with a kind of electric innocence, a feeling of endless possibility that seemed to shimmer on the screen and echo in the grooves of every new record. It was the year that Shaun Cassidy—the impossibly handsome, flaxen-haired star of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries—followed up his massive breakthrough hits, “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll,” with a deeply personal sophomore effort, the album Born Late. Tucked away as the fourth track on the album, released on October 1, 1977, was a song that captured the tender uncertainty of young love poised on the brink of adulthood: “It’s Up to You.”
This track, unlike the majority of his biggest hits that were covers, was a song that Shaun Cassidy co-wrote himself, along with his childhood friends, the musician and actor Bill Mumy (yes, Will Robinson from Lost in Space) and David Jolliffe. It was a departure from the upbeat, bubblegum-pop sheen of his singles, showcasing a more intimate, songwriting side of the teen idol—a side his older fans always knew was there.
The song’s intimate nature likely prevented it from climbing the charts as a major single in the US, especially since the big singles from the Born Late album were the infectious “Hey Deanie” (a top 10 hit) and the energetic “Do You Believe in Magic.” “It’s Up to You” did not chart as a single on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining one of those beloved “deep cuts” that true fans of the Born Late album cherish. It was commercially released on the album on November 8, 1977, by Curb Records.
The Heart of the Melody
The sheer weight of “It’s Up to You” lies in its powerful message of choice and consequence within a relationship. The lyrics speak directly to a partner who is wrestling with a profound decision—a moment when their path in life is dividing. “When you’re trying to choose between the world and me,” Cassidy sings, his voice full of a heartfelt plea, “It’s up to you.” It’s an unusual sentiment for a young pop idol, moving past the usual teen themes of hand-holding and eternal devotion to acknowledge the difficult, real-world crossroads that can fracture a youthful romance.
This theme was perhaps a reflection of Shaun Cassidy’s own life at the time, navigating the sudden, overwhelming pressures of superstardom, which he has since reflected on as a chaotic and isolating period. The song’s vulnerability—the acknowledgment that his partner has a decision to make, and he must respect her autonomy, even if it means losing her—resonated deeply with listeners who were themselves stepping out of high school and facing the wide-open, intimidating future of careers, college, and separate lives. It was an incredibly mature lyric for an artist who was then only 19 years old, showcasing a lyrical depth that often got overlooked beneath the wave of “Tiger Beat” magazine covers and arena concerts.
A Touch of Nostalgia
For those of us who came of age in the late 1970s, Shaun Cassidy’s music became the soundtrack to our lockers, our first dances, and those late-night phone calls where everything felt monumental. While the bombastic energy of “Da Doo Ron Ron” defined his public image, it’s songs like “It’s Up to You” that evoke the most personal memories. They are the songs that played softly on the stereo when you were trying to figure things out, not just about love, but about who you were going to be. The clean, melodic arrangement and Cassidy’s clear, unadorned vocal performance allow the gravity of the lyrics to shine through, cementing it as a timeless piece of thoughtful, quality pop-rock from an era too often dismissed as pure fluff. It stands as a testament to the songwriter that he became—a talent that would eventually lead him to a successful career as a writer and producer behind the camera, a path that was indeed, ultimately, up to him.