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99 Luftballons Lyrics
Hast Du etwas Zeit für mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied für Dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Denkst Du vielleicht grad' an mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied für Dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Und dass sowas von sowas kommt
99 Luftballons
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
Hielt man für UFOs aus dem All
Darum schickte ein General
Eine Fliegerstaffel hinterher
Alarm zu geben, wenn es so war
Dabei war da am Horizont
Nur 99 Luftballons
99 Düsenflieger
Jeder war ein grosser Krieger
Hielten sich für Captain Kirk
Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
Und fühlten sich gleich angemacht
Dabei schoss man am Horizont
Auf 99 Luftballons
99 Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich für schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer hätte das gedacht
Dass es einmal soweit kommt
Wegen 99 Luftballons
99 Jahre Krieg
Liessen keinen Platz für Sieger
Kriegsminister gibt es nicht mehr
Und auch keine Düsenflieger
Heute zieh ich meine Runden
Seh die Welt in Truemmern liegen
Hab' nen Luftballon gefunden
Denk' an Dich und lass' ihn fliegen
Don't know if anyone's interested, but I thought I'd have a go at writing a translation of the German lyrics in a slightly less literal manner, one that could be sung to the original tune. I prefer the German lyrics to the official English version that Nena sang, and have always wondered whether they could have done the English version better. What do people think?
My version:
If you have a little time Please listen to this song of mine Of ninety nine hot air balloons On their way, on the horizon It won’t be long before I’m through This little song I’ll sing for you Of ninety nine hot air balloons And how they brought the world to doom.
Ninety nine hot air balloons On their way, on the horizon An air force general watched them go And thought they were a UFO He gave the word to all the jets And ordered them to intercept But it was ninety nine balloons On their way, on the horizon
Ninety nine jet fighter aces Scrambling from the air force bases Each one felt like Captain Kirk The sky lit up like fireworks! The leaders of the neighbouring lands Saw but didn’t understand All the bombs and all the guns For ninety nine hot air ballons
Ninety nine security ministers Loved the threat of something sinister Drew their maps and made their plans Took their matches and petrol cans And called their people out to war The sparks were lit, we never saw That everything could end so soon Because of ninety nine balloons
Ninety nine long years of war There are no winners any more Not even one jet fighter ace Ministers gone without a trace Today I’m going on my rounds Over the scorched and barren ground Here I’ve found one last balloon Let it go and thought of you.
Wow, great lyrics...although horizon doesn't seem to rhyme at all^^
Wow, great lyrics...although horizon doesn't seem to rhyme at all^^
what a wonderful interpretation of these lyrics! i don't know german, but what you've come up with is much more eloquent than the literal translation that i get from translation software and is also much more story-like and interesting than the english version i grew up listening to on the radio. thank you!
what a wonderful interpretation of these lyrics! i don't know german, but what you've come up with is much more eloquent than the literal translation that i get from translation software and is also much more story-like and interesting than the english version i grew up listening to on the radio. thank you!
Very nice, indeed, neiledward. I was a senior in high school when this song was released and have very fond memories of my two best friends and I studying for our physics final the spring of '83 with the radio cranked, hearing this - about once an hour! - and all those other wonderful new wave tunes that 'plagued' the mid-80's. I loved and still love 'em all! It's funny, because I was outraged and embarrassed, both, that the English version sounded so hokey. Though I knew what the song was about, what it was...
Very nice, indeed, neiledward. I was a senior in high school when this song was released and have very fond memories of my two best friends and I studying for our physics final the spring of '83 with the radio cranked, hearing this - about once an hour! - and all those other wonderful new wave tunes that 'plagued' the mid-80's. I loved and still love 'em all! It's funny, because I was outraged and embarrassed, both, that the English version sounded so hokey. Though I knew what the song was about, what it was 'saying', I didn't know exactly what the German words meant but I still much preferred the German version. I took German in college and realized how far off the English translation was. It's not even a translation in many places, maybe a interpretation at best. Yuck. Anyway.. Gut gemacht!
@neiledward: "[I] have always wondered whether they could have done the English version better".
@neiledward: "[I] have always wondered whether they could have done the English version better".
Well, the band thinks they could have done better.
Well, the band thinks they could have done better.
Their label hired Kevin McAlea (one of Kate Bush's songwriters) to translate the song. From the start, they weren't completely satisfied with the translation, but they agreed to record it anyway. Comments from the three people involved in writing it:
Their label hired Kevin McAlea (one of Kate Bush's songwriters) to translate the song. From the start, they weren't completely satisfied with the translation, but they agreed to record it anyway. Comments from the three people involved in writing it:
Carlo (who wrote most of the original lyrics): "It's a completely different story, not my song".
Carlo (who wrote most of the original lyrics): "It's a completely different story, not my song".
Uwe (who wrote the music and helped with the lyrics): "It was a mistake: "The song loses...
Uwe (who wrote the music and helped with the lyrics): "It was a mistake: "The song loses something in translation and even sounds silly". After hearing Seven Seconds' punk cover: "This is the band that was meant to perform this version, not us. We couldn't be that super-earnest. We're not 16."
Nena: "It's far too blatant and strident. We're not a protest band".
Nena has never sung the English version live. Even in the UK, where the German version never charted (unlike the US, Australia, and Canada), she refuses to sing it.
@neiledward Doesn’t Luftballons mean those small ~30cm balloons (like the ones at a party) that you inflate with lungs or with a helium pump, not hot air balloons for travelling/adventure?
@neiledward Doesn’t Luftballons mean those small ~30cm balloons (like the ones at a party) that you inflate with lungs or with a helium pump, not hot air balloons for travelling/adventure?
Direct English translation:
If you have some time for me Then I'll sing a song for you About 99 balloons On their way to the horizon Perhaps you think of me a bit Then I'll sing a song for you About 99 balloons And that something [the war] comes from such a thing [the balloons]
99 balloons On their way to the horizon Seemed like UFOs from space So a general sent A flying squad out there To raise the alarm if it were true Yet there on the horizon were Only 99 balloons
99 jet hunters Each one was a great warrior Thought that there were Captain Kirk There were great fireworks The neighbors didn't understand anything And felt immediately "pissed off"/provoked Yet there they shot on the horizon At 99 balloons
99 war ministers Matches and petrol cans Thought that they were clever people Already smelled greasy loot Shouted: War, and wanted power Man, who would have thought That one day it would come to this Because of 99 balloons
99 years of war Don't leave a place for victors There are no ministers any more No jet engines either Today I'm doing my rounds Seeing the world lying in ruins Found a balloons Think of you and let it fly
Thanks to Siobhán Silke
This is my little sisters favorite song. Every time I hear it, I'm reminded of her. She lives in the States, far away from where I live. I miss her everyday, but this song helps and makes me happy when I think of all the good times we've had together, growing up.
I love this song!
Anti-war
Yes, to a certain extent it is anti-war. But, specifically I think you could make an argument that it is anit-cold war. The fact that this person and her friend release 99 red balloons into the sky and a programming malfunction (bugs in the software) perceives it as a threat is a reference to the neurotic attitudes of the "superpowers" during the cold war.
All throughout the song there is a crisis happening all the while these 99 red balloons innocently float above everyone.
The end of the song is the result of a nuclear holocaust caused by the reactionary decisions of the leaders in the world. Supremely melancholy, bittersweet and on the right track, no matter whether some of the lyrics are a bit blown out of proportion.
Anyone have a decent translation around? Babelfish butchered it, but I'd like to read somewhat english lyrics.
Great Song - Great Bassline
For me, I thank God the Cold War is over. And it's beautiful to hear a song from Germany, the poor country stuck in between those two super powers. The song sums up their frustration at being the piggy in the middle during the tumultuous 80's. The fact that it's sung in German is even more beautiful.
I thinks its against nuclear wepons and that everyone jumps to kill at the slightess things....
I love this song. ;p
Aliens ooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo
theyre crazy