(What a Beautiful World)" is a song written and performed by American songwriter, singer and musician Donald Fagen.

Between 1972 and 1981, Steely Dan had ten Top-40 singles, including the top-ten hits "Do It Again" (1972), "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" (1974) and "Hey Nineteen" (1980).

of the title refers to the "International Geophysical Year", an event that ran from July 1957 to December 1958.

Fagen's lyric discusses the widespread optimistic vision of the future at that time, including futuristic concepts such as solar-powered cities, a transatlantic tunnel, permanent space stations,[4] and spandex jackets.

[12] The song was also used in a scene from the Simpsons sixteenth-season episode "Future Drama" when Homer and Bart are flying around in the 'imperfect Hovercar'.

[21] French DJ Producer Alan Braxe sampled this song for the remix on Benjamin Diamond's "In Your Arms (We Gonna Make It)".