Tonight's Music

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year. Both the United States and the Soviet Union launched satellites in response to the call to launch artificial satellites to map the earth's surface and study astronomical phenomena.

Since Oct. 4, 1957 is the date which the USSR launched Sputnik 1 I thought that it would be fitting to make tonight's music video Donald Fagen's I.G.Y. This is a song he wrote for the Nightfly album and it details the kind of dreams of the future that a teenage boy living in the US in 1957 might have had.

Although I was born in 1960 I shared those science fiction daydreams as I grew up reading golden age Heinlein as well as Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell and watching Star Trek.

I could not find a video of Donald Fagen performing I.G.Y. but I did find a Japanese band which does a pretty good cover so here is Keisuke Kuwata doing I.G.Y:



A homemade video of Fagen's version of the song can be viewed, but not embeded here.

The future didn't turn out exactly the way we hoped that it would, but there are still wonders to behold.

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 seventy-six we'll be A.O.K.

What a beautiful world this will be
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

On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris
(More leisure time 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

What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free