What did 99 Red Balloons mean?
Lyrics. While at a June 1982 concert by the Rolling Stones in West Berlin, Nena’s guitarist Carlo Karges noticed that balloons were being released. The lyrics of the original German version tell a story: 99 balloons are mistaken for UFOs, causing a general to send pilots to investigate.
Is 99 Red Balloons a direct translation?
An English version titled “99 Red Balloons” was created which was NOT a direct translation of the original with lyrics written by Kevin McAlea though it does capture the same sentiment. The English version reached #1 in Australia, Canada, Ireland and in the UK.
Who had an No 1 hit in Australia with the German language song 99 Luftballons ‘?
“99 Luftballons” by Nena (1983) Nena never had another song hit the top 100 in the US.
Is 99 red balloons about nuclear war?
As it turned out, “99 Red Balloons,” as it was now called, was, of all things, a protest song. In the lyrics, a boy and girl innocently release a batch of balloons into the air; confused by these flying objects, international governments panic, triggering a nuclear holocaust.
Why was the video entitled 99 balloons?
They explained how they’ve used their brief time with Eliot to start a foundation, 99 Balloons — named for the 99 balloons they released at Eliot’s funeral to mark the days of his life, as well as for the 1980s hit song “99 Red Balloons,” immortalized on YouTube— to help others with severely disabled children.
When did the song 99 Luftballons come out?
The song, released in Germany in February 1983, soon had a sister version in English, written by Kevin McAlea, which was released in North America in 1984. That song (also sung by Nena) loosely follows the German lyrics, though it is not the same as the direct English translation printed here for learning purposes.
Is there an English translation of 99 Red Ballons?
The translation used for 99 Red ballons isn’t particularly accurate. It’s not easy to translate German lyrics to English. When I explain German lyrics to people I try and get to the essense of the lyric rather than just a literal translation. Indeed. Literal translations are for Google.
When did Wunder geschehen release 99 Red Balloons?
She rose to international fame in 1983 with the New German Wave song “99 Luftballons”. In 1984, she re-recorded this song in English as “99 Red Balloons”.Nena was also the name of the band with whom she released the song. With the re-recording and subsequent release of some of her old songs, her career re-emerged in 2002.
Who was the original singer of 99 Red Balloons?
You may have heard the 1980s pop song “99 Red Balloons,” but you may not know that it was originally a German tune. The German pop singer and group, Nena, released the international hit song in 1983 and the English version a year later. Nena was the stage name of the group’s lead singer (Gabriele Susanne Kerner) as well as the group itself.