"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" is a song by Timbuk 3. It is the opening track from their debut album, Greetings from Timbuk3. Released as the album's first single in 1986, it was the band's only significant mainstream hit.

The inspiration for the song, and the title specifically, came when Barbara MacDonald said to her husband singer/songwriter Pat MacDonald, "The future is looking so bright, we'll have to wear sunglasses!" But, while Barbara had made the comment in earnest – it was the early '80s, the two had met and married and were starting a family, their first EP was coming, their book was filling up with gigs – Pat heard the comment as an ironic quip and wrote down instead, "The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades."

"The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)"
album: "Don't Stop" (1996)
Timbuck 3

I study nuclear science, I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher who wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades

I gotta job waiting for my graduation
Fifty thou a year will buy a lotta beer
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades

I'm heavenly blessed and worldy wise
I'm a peeping-tom techy with x-ray eyes
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades

Yeah, I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades
Yeah I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright I gotta wear shades
I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades
Gotta wear shades, got to wear shades
I'm heavenly blessed and worldy wise
I'm a peeping tom techy with x-ray eyes.....