99 red balloons
 

i'm sure most of you have heard the song 99 red balloons by goldfinger. if not, it's a great song. the only thing i don't get is, what exactly do they mean by 99 red balloons? obviously the song is about war, but i can't figure what the balloons are supposed to be. here's the lyrics....

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
'Til 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
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine 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 ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine decisions treat
Ninety-nine ministers meet
To worry, worry, super scurry
Call out the troops now in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it, boys, this is war
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by

Neunundneunzig 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 so weit kommt
Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
Neunundneunzig Luftballons

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

any ideas???

The lyrics suggest that the release of 99 red balloons into the air triggers the paranoid cold-war machinery.

The balloons may not be overly symbolic, or they may be "red" simply because that is the color (communist) of the enemy-of-the-west.

99 Luftballons originally by Nena - 1983


the balloons are simply an innocent event mis-interpreted as a threat that triggers a war.

:nod: Yup! You are correct, sir!

However, isn't there is a verse missing from up above; something about "...everyone wants to be a Captain Kirk" ?

Bush is Captain Kirk. Just wants to rush in guns a blazing.....

In both the original and english versions there is mention of James T, it was such a popular line in german that they carried it over to english.

Man, I can just see the rockets red glare right now. Crazy presidents....

WOW, you know i never thought about the meaning of that song! I LOVE IT ...grew up to it to be exact! just ask bryce how much he loves it when i BLARE it in the P5...he ducks and hides! HEHEHHE:blue:

Bush is no Captain Kirk... :D

I found the verse that was missing:

99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a superhero.
Everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
As 99 red balloons go by.

And some info on the Goldmember versionfrom here

99 Luftballoons (99 Red Balloons) was originally released in German (1983) and re-released in English (1984). The English version had mixed success on the charts across the world, perhaps due to the poor conversion/translation. Below are both sets of lyrics: note that this is not 1980-89's translation, it is simply the lyrics of how the song was released in both languages by Nena.

However a more direct translation of the German lyrics shows that while the overall meaning was generally kept the same, a lot of the imagery was lost. Many English speakers still prefer the German version since the English version is a little less rythmic and appears to be forced.

As a side note, the band Goldfinger released the song on its 1997 EP, 'Darrin's Coconut Ass,' but it was saved for the album 'Stomping Ground' (released 2000). In an odd development, the band incorporated lyrics from both the English and German versions.

The song was originally done in german. If a strict translation is made, the song no long flows. Luftballons are actually derigibles (blimp like airships). "Luftballons" was changed to "Red Ballons" in english.



(I know I'm gonna screw this part up.)

In World War II, their was a program to use derigibles in the war. The USA actually used them for communication and recon missions off the west coast. The program was never fully realized.

Is goldfinger's version the one that comes with Gran Turismo 3: A spec?

sure is. the goldfinger version i have doesn't have the captain kirk verse in it. i don't know if there's different versions or not.

i got the goldfinger version music video if anyone wants to d/l it ...