A bittersweet goodbye recast as grown-up pop—bright guitars, brave restraint, and a former teen idol choosing truth over gloss
Before the memories flood in, the basics. “So Sad About Us”—a Pete Townshend composition first cut by The Who on A Quick One (1966)—was revived by Shaun Cassidy on his Todd Rundgren-produced album Wasp in 1980. Cassidy’s version runs about 3:02, and it was even issued as a U.S. 7″ single (Warner Bros./Curb WBS 49640) with “Cool Fire” on the flip. The single did not chart, and the parent album also failed to enter the Billboard 200, but those modest numbers don’t tell the whole story—it’s one of the most convincing performances of Cassidy’s career, and a small, sincere hinge between his teen-idol past and his adult musical taste.
Release & context. Wasp arrived on September 1, 1980, produced by Todd Rundgren with members of Utopia in the band—a deliberate attempt to reframe Cassidy in leaner, new-wave colors. The set was heavy on covers (Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel,” Ian Hunter’s “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” Talking Heads’ “The Book I Read”), and right in the middle sits “So Sad About Us,” its chiming guitars and clean backbeat fitting Rundgren’s glass-bright production. Even though the album sank commercially, it has since drawn a quiet cult: fans who hear in these ten tracks not a stunt, but a singer trying to tell the truth about where his ears—and heart—had wandered.
The song he chose. In 1966, Townshend wrote “So Sad About Us” as a clear-eyed parting shot—young love conceded without tantrum—and The Who cut it for A Quick One with ringing guitars, stacked voices, and Moon reined in just enough to let the ache show through. The tune was reportedly written for the Merseys, who duly released their own single that summer, proof that the song’s sturdy bones could travel. What makes it special—then and now—is its refusal to cast blame: “We’re finished,” the narrator admits, “but I’ll always carry you.” That adult stance is why the piece has been endlessly covered, from The Jam to The Breeders—and why it made sense for Cassidy in 1980.
How Cassidy sings it. He doesn’t try to out-Who the Who. With Rundgren setting the table—brisk tempo, lightly overdriven guitars, harmonies mixed close to the lead—Cassidy narrows the emotional aperture and lets tone do the work. The voice that once lit up bubblegum hits sounds steadier here, lower in the chest, a touch world-wiser. He leans into the vowels and lets the consonants tap like rain on a railcar window, and the refrain lands not as a pout but as a promise kept: we will be kind to this ending. That dignity is the performance’s quiet power. It’s also why some listeners call this cut a standout on Wasp—a flash of jangly light inside Rundgren’s angular frame.
Behind the cut. The single’s label copy tells the tale: Warner Bros./Curb WBS 49640, A-side “So Sad About Us” (Townshend), B-side “Cool Fire” (Cassidy/Rundgren/Roger Powell/John “Willie” Wilcox). That team sheet reflects the album’s method: Rundgren driving, Utopia supplying the sleek engine, Cassidy stepping forward as interpreter more than confessional songwriter—an honest assessment of where he stood at 22, eager to shed a poster and earn a place among records he actually loved. The public didn’t follow; radio shrugged. But the record remains, and this track in particular still glows like a porch light you suddenly notice on your way out.
Meaning, for ears that remember. If you came up on transistor radios and black-and-white teen-mag covers, you can hear the gamble here—a young star choosing restraint over bravado. “So Sad About Us” is not a breakup tantrum; it’s a benediction. Cassidy’s version keeps the lyric’s nobility intact while swapping the Mod stomp for a springier, late-’70s shimmer. That subtle shift ages the song without aging it: the ache is intact, the pride softer, the tempo just quick enough to keep your heart from sinking. It’s the sound of someone learning how to leave a room without slamming the door.
Why it belongs near the top of his story. Wasp didn’t sell, but Cassidy’s reading of “So Sad About Us” shows what he could do when freed from teen-idol expectations: carry a great song with taste, humility, and time-tested craft. And for older listeners, it’s a particular kind of nostalgia—the kind that doesn’t airbrush the past. It remembers the posters, yes, but it also remembers how we grew up and learned to say goodbye with grace.
Key facts at a glance: Song — “So Sad About Us” (Pete Townshend); Artist — Shaun Cassidy; Album — Wasp (released Sept. 1, 1980; did not chart on the Billboard 200); Single — U.S. 7″ WBS 49640 (Dec. 1980), B-side “Cool Fire,” no chart entry; Length — ~3:02; Producer — Todd Rundgren; Band — members of Utopia.
Origins to explore: The Who’s original appears on A Quick One (1966), and the song was written for the Merseys, who issued their own single that July—one reason it became a power-pop prototype so many artists have claimed since.