"The Morning After" (aka "The Song from 'The Poseidon Adventure'") is an Academy Award-winning song, first released in May 1973 (see 1973 in music). It was the first hit for singer Maureen McGovern, and was used as the love theme for the film The Poseidon Adventure, which was released late the year before.
Beginnings
The song was written in March 1972 by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, who were told to write the love theme for The Poseidon Adventure in one night. In the end, the finished product was called "Why Must There Be a Morning After?" but tweaking from higher-ups resulted in the song's more optimistic tone (as evidenced by the new cry of "There's got to be a morning after"). In the end titles of the film, it is officially called "The Song From 'The Poseidon Adventure'", not what would be its otherwise best known title, "The Morning After".
The song is performed in the film by the character of Nonnie (actually a vocal double singing for Carol Lynley) as entertainment at the New Year's Eve party early in the film. The lyrics seem to resonate during ensuing story developments in which the survivors of the capsized SS Poseidon brave all odds to live another day.
Russ Regan, head of 20th Century Records, suggested that Maureen McGovern, who had sent him a demo tape and was working at the time as a secretary, sing the song. Having the utmost faith in her, he financed the recording with his own money and signed her to his label.
At first, the song was not a hit. However, the song gained much publicity after being nominated for, and eventually winning, the Academy Award for Best Song. It debuted in the Billboard Hot 100 in late June at number ninety-nine. The song slowly rose up the chart and after seven weeks, it took the number one spot, which it would keep for two weeks.
The publicity surrounding McGovern and her rendition of the Oscar winner led her to release an album (also entitled The Morning After), and helped her obtain the rights to sing the love theme to 1974's The Towering Inferno.
"The Morning After"
(Song from "The Poseidon Adventure")
(As recorded by Maureen McGovern)
AL KASHA
JOEL HIRSCHHORN
There's got to be a morning after
If we can hold on thru the night
We have a chance to find the sunshine
Let's keep on looking for the light.
Oh can't you see the morning after?
It's waiting right outside the storm
Why don't we cross the bridge together
And find the place that's safe and warm.
It's not too late, we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It's not too late, not while we're living
Let's put our hands out in time.
There's got to be a morning after
We're moving closer to the shore
I know we'll be there by tomorrow
And we'll escape the darkness
We won't be searching anymore.
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after).