David is the only son of Jack Cassidy, a Broadway actor of note from the 1950s and 1960s, and his first wife Evelyn Ward. He is the older half-brother of Jack and his second wife Shirley Jones' sons Shaun, Patrick and Ryan.
Cassidy is perhaps best known for his role as Shirley Jones' eldest son, Keith Partridge, on the popular 1970s musical/situation comedy, The Partridge Family. The show as on the air from 1970 to 1974.
He subsequently went on to a successful pop career in the mid to late 70s.
Labor Of Love
David Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the sun in his eyes
And the sound of his heart beats like thunder
Can a child understand
The weakness of a man
And the spell that his world puts him under
He finds his God is just human
He's gotta stand and be brave
for taking his innocence away
Gonna take a labor of love
To forgive and forget
A labor of love
And all he can give
For as long as he lives
It's gonna take a labor of love
I see myself in your eyes
As I leave you here tonight
With all your dreams left unspoken
I can now understand the courage of a man
As I'm facing the promise I've broken
You see that I'm only human
Your head has feet of clay
I hope someday you'll forgive me
For stealing your future this way
Gonna take a labor of love
To forgive and forget
A labor of love
And all he can give
For as long as he lives
It's gonna take a labor of love
After I let him go
I smothered the pain deep inside
Now here I stand accused
of walking in his shoes
I've kept his spirit alive - in me
In the song "Labor of Love", David Cassidy sings about the turmoil experienced by both a child and an adult in the aftermath of a traumatizing event. The child struggles to understand the fallibility of his father, who has taken away his innocence, but ultimately realizes that forgiveness requires strength and courage. Meanwhile, the adult recognizes the weight of his own mistake and acknowledges the need to make amends, to not only seek forgiveness but to actively work to restore the brokenness caused by his actions.
Throughout the song, there is a recognition of the complexity of love - that while it can cause wounds, it also has the power to heal them. The labor required to forgive and forget is representative of the effort and time it takes to restore trust and repair relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
From the touch of good-bye
Starting from the moment of farewell
With the sun in his eyes
While the sun was shining in his eyes
And the sound of his heart beats like thunder
While heart was thumping like thunder
Can a child understand
Is it possible for a child to comprehend
The weakness of a man
The vulnerability of a man
And the spell that his world puts him under
And the power that his surroundings had on him
He finds his God is just human
He realizes that his father is not invincible
He's gotta stand and be brave
He needs to be courageous even in this tough situation
How can he ever forgive him
How can he forgive his father
for taking his innocence away
For stealing his childhood innocence
Gonna take a labor of love
It will require hard work and dedication
To forgive and forget
To let go of resentment and move on
And all he can give
And all he has to offer
For as long as he lives
As long as he's alive
It's gonna take a labor of love
It will take hard work and devotion
I see myself in your eyes
I recognize myself in you
As I leave you here tonight
As I depart this evening
With all your dreams left unspoken
Your unexpressed dreams and aspirations
I can now understand the courage of a man
I now comprehend how brave a person has to be
As I'm facing the promise I've broken
As I confront the pledge I couldn't honor
You see that I'm only human
You realize that I make mistakes too
Your head has feet of clay
You have a vulnerable side too
I hope someday you'll forgive me
I hope that one day you will pardon me
For stealing your future this way
For taking away your future aspirations in this manner
After I let him go
After I allowed him to leave
I smothered the pain deep inside
I suppressed my agony within
Now here I stand accused
Now I stand guilty
of walking in his shoes
Of behaving like him
I've kept his spirit alive - in me
I've preserved his memory through myself
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ishmael Huggins
Good as it gets pop music!!
Susam Marks
This. Is a. Phenomenal. Song. I. Don't. Care. What anybody. Says. David. Was. A. Great. Arist. So. Very. Talented and. Genuine. He. Deserves. So. Much. More. Credit. For. What. He. Accomplished. Is. Lifetime. Music. Industry. Needs. To. Pay. Attention