Music Friday: 'Tomorrow's Gonna Be a Brighter Day,' Promises Jim Croce

Welcome to Music Friday, when we feature songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the lyrics. Today, we revisit Jim Croce’s 1972 folk-rock gem, “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Brighter Day,” a tender anthem of reconciliation in which the singer uses the imagery of diamonds and pearls to express his longing to be a better husband and father.

In the song, Croce paints a vivid picture of devotion through gifts he cannot afford to give. He imagines fabricating a present from the stars from the heavens and making a chain “out of diamonds and pearls from a summer sea.”

The metaphor is powerful: diamonds, pearls, and even stars become symbols of promises, regret, and the depth of his love. Yet, lacking material wealth, all he can truly offer is “a kiss in the morning and a sweet apology.”

The lyric reveals the vulnerability of a young man caught between the demands of a blossoming music career and the needs of his family at home. Later, Croce underscores the song’s theme of growth and redemption with another piece of imagery: “Nobody ever had a rainbow, baby, until he had the rain.”

Released as the second track on his breakthrough album You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, the song captures Croce’s talent for storytelling — everyday struggles expressed through simple, heartfelt poetry. The album launched Croce into stardom with other classics like “Operator” and “Time in a Bottle,” cementing him as one of America’s most beloved singer-songwriters.

Tragically, Croce’s career was cut short just 17 months after the release of this song. In September 1973, at the height of his fame, he died in a plane crash in Louisiana at the age of 30. The loss stunned fans worldwide. Just days before, he had written to his wife, Ingrid, sharing how much he missed her and their infant son and revealing plans to give up touring in favor of a quieter life writing stories and spending time with his family.

Croce’s legacy continues to shine. His music — often marked by themes of love, regret, humor and resilience — remains a staple of American folk and soft rock. "Time in a Bottle" became his first #1 hit in December of 1973, three months after his death. In 2012, Croce was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a testament to the enduring power of his words.

With “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Brighter Day,” Croce leaves us not just with a melody, but with a promise — that love, like a diamond or pearl, can endure even through lean times and hardship.

Please enjoy Croce's performance of “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be a Brighter Day.” The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Tomorrow’s Gonna Be A Brighter Day”
Written and performed by Jim Croce.

Well, I’m sorry for the things that I told you
But words only go so far
And if I had my way
I would reach into heaven
And I’d pull down a star for a present
And I’d make you a chain out of diamonds and pearls from a summer sea
But all I can give you is a kiss in the morning
And a sweet apology

Well, I know that it hasn’t been easy
And I haven’t always been around
To say the right words
Or to hold you in the mornin’
Or to help you when you’re down
I know I never showed you much of a good time
But baby things are gonna change
I’m gonna make up for all of the hurt I brought
I’m gonna love away all your pain

And tomorrow’s gonna be a brighter day
There’s gonna be some changes
Tomorrow’s gonna be a brighter day
This time you can believe me
No more cryin’ in your lonely room
And no more empty nights
‘Cause tomorrow mornin’ everything will turn out right

Well, there’s something that I’ve got to tell you
Yes I’ve got something on my mind
But words come hard
When your lying in my arms
And when I’m looking deep into your eyes
But there’s truth and consolation
And what I’m trying to say
Is that nobody ever had a rainbow, baby
Until he had the rain

And tomorrow’s gonna be a brighter day
There’s gonna be some changes
Tomorrow’s gonna be a brighter day
This time you can believe me
No more cryin’ in your lonely room
And no more empty nights
‘Cause tomorrow mornin’ everything will turn out right

It’s gonna, it’s gonna, it’s gonna be a brighter day
It’s gonna, it’s gonna, it’s gonna be a brighter day
It’s gonna, it’s gonna, it’s gonna be a brighter day
It’s gonna be, it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a brighter day
Come on tomorrow
Come on tomorrow
It’s gonna be a brighter day

Credit: ABC Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.