The song was written in March 1972 by 20th Century Fox songwriters Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn,[1] who were asked to write the love theme for The Poseidon Adventure in one night. The finished product was called "Why Must There Be a Morning After?" but changes by the record label resulted in the more optimistic lyric "there's got to be a morning after".
In the film the song is performed by the character of Nonnie, played by Carol Lynley, but actually sung by the vocal double Renee Armand. It appears twice: during a warm-up rehearsal and then later during the New Year's Eve party early in the film, before the passengers must escape the sinking wreck. The title appears in the end credits as "The Song from The Poseidon Adventure".