The oldest of three sons born to Shirley Jones and Broadway entertainer/television star Jack Cassidy, he first found success as a teen idol, following in the footsteps of his elder half-brother, David Cassidy of TV's The Partridge Family. He went to Beverly Hills High School.
He released several successful singles in the late 1970s. His first single, "Morning Girl", a The Neon Philharmonic classic, didn't chart in the USA but did well in Europe.[citation needed] His second single, a cover version of The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron", hit #1 in the United States in 1977, and he, like David, became a major teen idol. He achieved two further top ten singles with cover versions of Eric Carmen's "That's Rock 'N' Roll" and "Hey Deanie" in 1977 and his first three albums also sold well. Cassidy and his mother Shirley Jones of the Partridge Family are the only mother and son to each have a song reach number one on the Billboard Hot One Hundred Charts.[citation needed] Cassidy also achieved chart success and toured in Australia.
Cassidy starred opposite Parker Stevenson in the popular The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries television series, which ran for several seasons on ABC-TV, starting in 1977. In 1987, Cassidy joined the cast of the Daytime Soap Opera General Hospital for several months, playing the character of Dusty Walker from 1987–1988. He was first in a series of young, male, blond actors to appear on General Hospital, followed by Chris Aable in 1988 and Steve Burton in 1989. Cassidy made his Broadway debut in 1993 in a production of Blood Brothers alongside brother David Cassidy - the first time the two brothers had ever appeared together professionally. Along with Petula Clark who played the mother, this production was a major success and achieved great critical acclaim.
Among his credits as a TV producer were the creation of the short-lived Fox Television Network Action/Adventure series Roar, which starred the then-unknown Heath Ledger. Other writing and producing credits include Cold Case, The Agency, and the creation of American Gothic as well as the 2005 ABC series Invasion.
Cassidy has two children from his first marriage with model Ann Pennington, and one child from his second marriage, with actress Susan Diol. On August 28, 2004, Cassidy married a third time, to producer Tracey Turner, with whom he has two children.
Time for a Change
Shaun Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And bankin' on a second chance
In the land of the jaded romance
Riding a dream
Steering a passion
For your heart
I'm givin' you what's left of mine
Leavin' only the words behind
I was losin' my mind
And I knew it was time for a change
I had to stop and rearrange
'Cause I knew it was time for a change
I had to find another way
I was wakin' up mortified
With my back to the wall
I was givin' it all to the wind
Only never satisfied
Now you're here
And it's clear
That you've made it
A time for a change
Too many times
I'd seem to get the best of me
I'd give it all to fantasy
Chasin' the night
Chasin' illusion
For your heart
I'm givin' you what's left of mine
Leavin' only the words behind
Lost in the crowd
The song "Time For A Change" by Shaun Cassidy talks about a man who was lost in his own world, giving in to his illusions and fantasies. He acknowledges that he was "rolling the dice" and "banking on a second chance" in a world of "jaded romance". However, he meets someone who changes everything for him, someone he gives his heart to. He realizes that it is time for a change and that he has to find another way. He was waking up mortified, doing the same things over and over again, chasing an illusion. He knew it was time to stop and rearrange his life as he was never satisfied with what he had. He recognizes that he was losing his mind in the crowd until the new person came into his life.
The lyrics are rich with metaphors and figurative language. The lines "Rollin' the dice" and "Bankin' on a second chance" suggest that the singer was taking risks and willing to try his luck again. He was lost in the "land of jaded romance" but he was "riding a dream" and "steering a passion" for the person he loved. The chorus "I knew it was time for a change, I had to find another way" suggests that he was ready to move on and try something new.
Line by Line Meaning
Rollin' the dice
Taking a chance on uncertainty and hoping for the best outcome
And bankin' on a second chance
Depositing all faith on the possibility of a new opportunity
In the land of the jaded romance
In a broken love life where true feelings have been replaced with skepticism
Riding a dream
Pursuing an ambition with great enthusiasm
Steering a passion
Directing a strong feeling or emotion towards a certain goal
For your heart
Doing everything for the love of someone else
I'm givin' you what's left of mine
Offering the remaining fragments of oneself to someone else
Leavin' only the words behind
Giving only verbal promises while withholding emotion and action
Lost in the crowd
Feeling insignificant and disconnected among a large group of people
I was losin' my mind
Going insane or losing control of one's mental state
And I knew it was time for a change
Realizing that a different approach is necessary for progress
I had to stop and rearrange
Had to pause and organize thoughts and actions in a new way
'Cause I knew it was time for a change
Being certain that a shift in behavior is required for growth
I had to find another way
Searching for a new method or approach to achieve one's goals
I was wakin' up mortified
Starting the day with extreme fear, discomfort or embarrassment
With my back to the wall
Being in a difficult situation with few options or resources
I was givin' it all to the wind
Putting in great effort for an uncertain or futile outcome
Only never satisfied
Always feeling like one wants more or is not content
Now you're here
With the arrival of someone important in one's life
And it's clear
It's now obvious that a change is necessary in order to progress with this person
That you've made it
The arrival of this person in one's life has made it clear that it is time to change
A time for a change
The present is the perfect opportunity for transformation and growth
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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