It just seems to me that this song by Donald Fagen captures the zeitgeist.
The words to this song, written and released in September of 1982, reflect the hopes and expectations of the innocent 1950’s to present day.
Even then as today, the lyrics are prescient and relevant to everything we’re experiencing.
Especially with visionary Elon Musk connecting the world using satellite communication circling the globe using a reusable SpaceX rocket, his dream of getting humans to Mars, his vision to build an vacuum tube undersea tunnel that whisks us at 3,000 mph from New York to London in 90 minutes.
It’s uncanny.
“What a beautiful world this will be”
“What a glorious time to be free”
A listener wrote, “One of the cleanest, smoothest, beautifuliest songs ever made on this planet earth!!!”
I agree.
Lyrics:
Standing tough under stars and stripes, we can tell
This dream’s in sight, you’ve got to admit it
At this point in time that it’s clear
The future looks bright
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
Well, by ’76 we’ll be a-okay
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be (Ooh, ah) What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space while there’s time
The fix is in
You’ll be a witness to that game of chance in the sky
You know we’ve got to win
Here at home we’ll play in the city
Powered by the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world
There’ll be Spandex jackets, one for everyone
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
Whoo-hoo
On that train, all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris (More leisure for artists everywhere)
A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision
We’ll be clean when their work is done
We’ll be eternally free, yes, and eternally young,
ooh What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be (Yeah)
What a glorious time to be free
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free
