When Love Lifts You Up, It’s a Slice of Paradise: The Euphoria of New Romance
“It’s Like Heaven” is a dreamy slice of soft rock that captured the tender, euphoric feeling of young love in the late 1970s. Released in 1978, the song is found on Shaun Cassidy’s third studio album, Under Wraps. While Cassidy had already secured his place as a massive teen idol thanks to the television series The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries and earlier smash hits like “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Hey Deanie,” the musical landscape was shifting. Under Wraps was a transitional album for the artist, moving toward a more mature sound, but the commercial momentum of his initial breakthrough was starting to slow. Consequently, “It’s Like Heaven” was not released as a major hit single in the US, and the album itself, while respectable, only peaked at #33 on the US Billboard charts, indicating a slight dip in the high-flying popularity he’d previously enjoyed. The song itself, however, has endured as a beautiful representation of that late-decade sound, and its pedigree is truly remarkable.
The story behind this particular track is what truly elevates it beyond a typical pop offering. The song was co-written by none other than Brian Wilson, the visionary founder of The Beach Boys, alongside Rocky Pamplin and Diane Rovell. For those of us who grew up with the harmonious, complex soundscapes of the sixties, the mere involvement of Brian Wilson signals a depth of melody and a richness of arrangement that is often missing from pure teen pop. This connection gives the track a sense of musical lineage, bridging the gap between the surf-rock optimism of one generation and the romantic soft-rock sensibilities of the next. It’s a hidden gem, really, reflecting Cassidy’s attempts to evolve as an artist by collaborating with serious songwriters, much as his half-brother, David Cassidy, had done with Wilson’s “Cruisin’ to Harlem” a few years prior.
The meaning of “It’s Like Heaven” is straightforward yet deeply evocative—it’s a celebration of love as a transcendent, near-spiritual experience. The lyrics use the metaphor of “heaven” to describe that idealized, weightless emotional state that only a powerful, new romance can bring. It’s the feeling of walking on air, where every moment with that special someone is pure bliss, a temporary escape from the ordinary world. Shaun Cassidy’s smooth, clear vocals fit this dreamy, melodic structure perfectly. His performance here shows a refinement, moving past the more energetic, bubblegum hits of his early career and leaning into a gentle, romantic earnestness that speaks directly to the heart. It’s the kind of song that, when you hear it today, instantly transports you back to a simpler time, perhaps to a high school dance, a first slow dance, or a long, carefree drive in the summer twilight. It’s a memory-maker, built on a gentle piano line and a shimmering arrangement—a nostalgic echo of a time when pop music could still be this beautifully, uncomplicatedly romantic.
Under Wraps may have marked the beginning of the end for Shaun Cassidy’s run as a dominant pop phenomenon, but this track stands as a testament to his vocal talent and his desire to explore more nuanced musical territory. It is a piece of exquisite, soft-focus pop that deserves to be remembered for its quiet beauty and its surprising connection to one of rock’s most brilliant minds.