'' What a Terrible World , What a Beautiful World '' is the seventh studio album from The Decemberists , released on January 20 , 2015 . The album 's title comes from a line in the song " 12/17/12 " , a reference to the date of Barack Obama 's speech in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and lead singer Colin Meloy 's conflicting feelings about the shooting and his happy personal life
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World