Nena: "99 Luftballoons" (1983) - Alpha History

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Written and performed by West German new wave band Nena, 99 Luftballoons (“99 Balloons”) reached the top 10 in several countries in 1983. It was written by a member of the band after watching balloons being released in West Berlin, only for them to float over the Berlin Wall.

The song was released in both German and English. Each set of lyrics was radically different, though both warned of the dangers of Cold War paranoia and military preparedness. In the English version, for example, balloons released into the air trigger military warning systems, leading to a devastating response.

You and I in a little toy shop Buy a bag of balloons with the money we’ve got Set them free at the break of dawn ‘Till one by one, they were gone Back at base, bugs in the software Flash the message, ‘Something’s out there’ Floating in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by

99 red balloons Floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it’s red alert There’s something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky as 99 red balloons go by

99 decision street 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super flurry Call the troops out in a hurry This is what we’ve waited for This is it boys, this is war The president is on the line As 99 red balloons go by

99 knights of the air Ride super high tech jet fighters Everyone’s a super hero Everyone’s a Captain Kirk With orders to identify To clarify, and classify Scramble in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by

99 dreams I have had In every one a red balloon It’s all over and I’m standing pretty In this dust that was a city If I could find a souvenir Just to prove the world was here And here is a red balloon I think of you, and let it go

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