Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Pitchfork	8.2/10[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]
The Village Voice	B+[4]

AllMusic critic Ben Tausig, writing retrospectively, said that the album "was a unique and fairly important moment in early-'80s new wave", and noted that "lead singer Patty Donahue's singing ranged from a playful sexiness on the well-known hit "I Know What Boys Like" to a half-talk, half-yell with shades of post-punk groups like Gang of Four and the Raincoats on 'Pussy Strut' and 'Go On.' The guitar and bass were bizarre and funk-influenced in much the same way as other well-known Akron, OH, groups like Devo and the Pretenders".[1] Pitchfork's Madison Bloom called it "an arch yet sincere sendup of humdrum modern life" and each track "a miniature diorama of daily life, rendered in the highly saturated palette of pop art". Bloom commented that without several lines, its lyrics "might read like a dystopian critique of yuppie aspiration. But Butler knew that real life is a tad more complex—you do what you can to get by, and relish small moments of contentment".[2]

All songs written by Chris Butler.[5] This is the track list for the original US version.[6]

1. "No Guilt" – 3:46
2. "Wise Up" – 3:20
3. "Quit" – 5:10
4. "It's My Car" – 3:20
5. "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" – 3:40
6. "I Know What Boys Like" – 3:11
7. "Heat Night" – 3:43
8. "Redland" – 2:55
9. "Pussy Strut" – 4:12
10. "Go On" – 2:49
11. "Jimmy Tomorrow" – 5:37

• Patty Donahue – vocals
• Mars Williams – reeds
• Tracy Wormworth – bass
• David Hofstra – bass
• Billy Ficca – drums
• Dan Klayman – keyboards
• Chris Butler – guitar
• Ariel Warner – backing vocals

with:

• Ralph Carney – saxophone on "No Guilt" and "I Know What Boys Like"
• Don Christensen – drums on "No Guilt"
• Rick Dailey – piano on "I Know What Boys Like"
• Stuart Austin – drums on "I Know What Boys Like"
• Andrew Fuhrmann – art direction