Album: 99 Luftballons (1983)

Charted: 1 2

License This Song 

• [German lyrics ("99 Luftballons")]
  
  Hast du etwas Zeit für mich
  Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
  Von neunundneunzig Luftballons
  Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
  Denkst du vielleicht grad an mich
  Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich
  Von neunundneunzig Luftballons
  Und, dass so was von so was kommt
  
  Neunundneunzig Luftballons
  Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont
  Hielt man für UFOs aus dem All
  Darum schickte ein General
  'Ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher
  Alarm zu geben, wenn's so wär
  Dabei waren dort am Horizont
  Nur neunundneunzig Luftballons
  
  Neunundneunzig Düsenflieger
  Jeder war ein großer Krieger
  Hielten sich für Captain Kirk
  Es gab ein großes Feuerwerk
  Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft
  Und fühlten sich gleich angemacht
  Dabei schoss man am Horizont
  Auf neunundneunzig Luftballons
  
  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 soweit kommt
  Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
  
  Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
  Neunundneunzig Luftballons
  
  Neunundneunzig Jahre Krieg
  Ließen keinen Platz für Sieger
  Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr
  Und auch keine Düsenflieger
  Heute zieh' ich meine Runden
  Seh' die Welt in Trümmern liegen
  Hab 'n Luftballon gefunden
  Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen
  
  
  [English lyrics ("99 Red Balloons")]
  
  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
  Where ninety-nine red balloons go by
  
  Ninety-nine Decision Street
  Ninety-nine ministers meet
  To worry, worry, super scurry
  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 ninety-nine red balloons go by
  
  Ninety-nine 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
  Ninety-nine red balloons go by
  
  As ninety-nine red balloons go by
  
  Ninety-nine 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 Writer/s: Carlo Karges, Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Peterson
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 62

• Christine from PittsburghEven though I don't know how to speak German, I like the way the German version sounds more than the English version.
• Anon2345432 from EarthJennifer goins sings this song in the series 12 monkeys https://youtu.be/I254cTZ5NOY if the vid doesnt work, use VPN and swap to USA ip
• VCongratulations to "Josh - Pleasant Plains, IL" who said that the song is about WWII and now has gotten Google to regard that as the actual answer. That's the top answer if you search "99 Luftballons meaning", and it's completely and very obviously wrong.
• Jozef from China-slovakiaHey, in 1982, or 83, or 84, a balloon (red-pinkish) landed at our house doorstep. My father replied (on my behalf - I was 8) and a reply came back. Balloons were released from a train in West Germany by kids as a competition. My boy's balloon won, it flew all the way to Slovakia. My father never replied back afterwards. The boy who won must be about 50 years old now.
• Boudicca Jones from HerefordshireCarlos you are quite, quite wrong. The English version charted in the UK NOT the original. Bit shook at how insistent you are that everyone except you is wrong.
• MeFYI: Netflix' series "Russian Doll" plays it at the end of S02E04 (2022)
• Squidgelly69 from WashingtonOperation Aedinosaur.
• AnonymousIt is about how the government thought the red balloon where people in planes getting ready to bomb them
  
• Gp from Mjhowlandthe LA DJ did NOT "find it " : The beginning of the immense US success was the act of another famous girl from Germany. When Christiane Felscherinow , Director of a tragic Homeless Youth b/w documentary from the late 70's ("Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo") was in Los Angeles, gave the KROQ radio disc jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, a copy of the "99 balloons". Here is the DIRECT meaning of his song " 99 LuftBallons" : Carlo Karges refers to the content of the song not only" to the relationships between the peoples, but also to all this paranoia in the private sphere". He wants to say, "that paranoia determines our lives. The fear of each other leads us to deal with each other more cruelly than is necessary. Because whoever strikes first has the better cards. This is dangerous. Carlo Karges (1951-2002) was attending a 1982 Rolling Stones concert at the Waldbühne (the "Forest Theatre") in West Berlin, when they released a large mass of helium balloons into the air. He wondered how East German or Soviet forces might react if the balloons crossed the Berlin Wall, and thus he conceived the idea for the song about a major war resulting from misID of a mass of balloons.
• Carlos Krages, Never Kevin Mcalean ! from EarthNENA's guitarist , Carlos Krages wrote the Original Lyrics to 99 LUFTBalloons, NEVER should Kevin McAlea's guess at translation be given credit in any capacity for 99 LUFTBallons! The "english" version NEVER charted & is rarely played, the German version is the one liked the world over, Charted at # 1 in several countries, #2 on US Blillboard charts....LUFT Balloons , NEVER red balloons...
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenLola, one can always "think globally," but how far does that go before all right of self determination for an individual, or a state, or a nation, is lost? Too many of those who constantly tout "diversity," yet want everyone to think and act the same, seem unwilling to accept viewpoints other than their own.
• George from Vancouver, CanadaI always thought this was a Cyndi Lauper hit. I believe she covered it, too, but this is the one I recall frommy teens, in the '80s. . .
  
  Good times. . .
• Jeff from UsaBalloons wouldn't show up on early warning systems in the 80s. That said,its absolutely a take on the hair button triggers of NATO and the USSR. The mass hysteria and constant brinkmanship.
• Melinda from AustraliaFurther, The person who wrote this song. And the people who performed it. Were West Berlin, Germans. With a key understanding and experience of lack political freedom. And threat of war. Although they lived in West Berlin Germany - the (non Communist Zone). East Berlin was Communist run. Divided by The Berlin Wall. And shut off from the world. In fact This band grew up almost completely surrounded by the Central Europeans countries that were run as Communist regimes at that time. Hungary, Romania, Former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Poland, Ukraine and Russia, all communist. Very scary. And travel between them restricted. Or not permitted. This band were unique witnesses to the end of these regimes roughly all by 1989.
  Millennials go on about Brexit and issues of having to get a visa prior to travel. Well, consider that you are lucky you can get a visa. And be able to travel to these countries now. Because prior to the people’s revolutions + end of Communism in central European countries in the late 1980’s, no one in their right mind attempted to travel to these countries. Due to restrictions. Or only on a well planned holiday. (tho your friends would have thought you nuts) Think North Korea. The communists were highly suspicious of ANYONE from capitalist countries entering theirs. Thank god Germany is united today. And communism removed from Europe.
• Melinda from AustraliaI think Sean from Australia explained the political meaning of this song best. And a few other commenters, old enough to remember the particular political climate of the Cold War in the early 80’s. It’s one of those songs that jus take you straight back to 1983. It was a magical time to be young. But the Cold War did hang abit heavy over us. To be honest I think those of us who were really young during that period did an excellent job of staying positive. And planning our futures. Despite the clear threat of nuclear war. And seemingly no end in sight for the Soviet regime of Russia. 1988 changed that. Even before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. We had a year of feeling it was gonna happen. And it did. I was in Europe when it happened. Europeans were over the moon about it. The positive feeling it brought in cannot be described.
• Jerry from Los Angeles, CaJosh, Pleasant Plains, IL the song has nothing to do with ww2, its about the cold war of the 70's/80's, complete with obvious post-war references to "jet fighters" and "Captian Kirk". In fact, Germany has a bright future to dream of. The country has rebuilt to a beautiful, amazing place with the largest economy in Europe.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 26th 1984, "99 Luftballons" by Nena peaked at #2 (for 1 week) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on December 4th, 1983 at position #74 and spent 20 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 6 of those 20 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
  It reached #1 in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland...
  The week that it was at #2 on the Top 100, the #1 record was "Jump" by Van Halen...
  Nena, born Gabriele Susanne Kerner, will celebrate her 54th birthday in less than a month on March 24th (2014).
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxThere was a spoof called '99 Dead Baboons.'
• Brittany from Land Of Confusion, OhFirst of all how could 99 Luftballoons be a sign to Nazis when the song was let out in the 80's and WWII ended in 1945? And second yes the song may be in German, but truly many Germans travled to US after WWII. But the one war, and the same war as today, that started in the 1980's was and still is the Iraq war. Just because it's in German doesn't mean that it involves Nazis. Nena was anti-war so why in gods name would she send a ssignle. Or even do anything like that.
• Tony from Linden, NcApparently, 99 luft Balloons was a secret message to Nazis. The balloons were supposed to signal that it was okay to send Hitler to South America. But Hitler killed himself in 1945, and the song wasnt written until the late 70s, which is to say that a secret message to Nazi officials hidden within then lyrics is a wild, impossible conspiracy theory. But on the whole: great song. :)XD
• Emily from Around Chicago, IlMakes sense, I figured it was because he was a hero. But I see how the whole UFO thing connects back to Captain Kirk.
• Carlos from Frankfurt, GermanyAs a soldier in the Army you get to travele all over the world in when i got sent to Germany I was whatever about till i got here....Thats when i found this song......its the best song i have heard in a very long time.When i go on leave i put my car roof down and play this song as lound as i can driveing to Berlin. i wish they could make more songs like this.....
  P.F.C brito U.S. Army
• Caitlin from Colmesneil, TxThe original German lyrics translate as: "Do you have some time for me?/Then I will sing a song for you/Of 99 balloons/On their way to the horizon/Are you perhaps thinking of me?/Then I will sing a song for you/Of 99 balloons/And that something can come from such a thing./99 balloons/On their way to the horizon/Thought they were UFO's from space/So a general sent/A flying squad out there/To raise alarm if it was true/Yet there on the horizon were/Only 99 balloons./99 jet airplanes/Each one was a great warrior/Thought that they were Captain Kirk/There were great fireworks/The neighbors didn't understand/And immediately felt 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 caught wind of great spoils/Shouted "war!" and wanted power/Man, who would've ever thought/That one day it would come to this/Because of 99 balloons./99 years of war/Leave no place for victors/There are no war ministers anymore/And no jet airplanes either/Today I'm doing my rounds/Seeing the world laying in ruins/Found a balloon/Think of you/And let it fly..." Auf wiedersehen!
• Craig from Rockhampton, Australia"Weird Al" Yankovic included this song on "Hooked On Polkas" from his Dare To Be Stupid album
• Alan from Northridge, CaThe reference to Captain Kirk is a little clearer in the German version. People mistake the balloons for UFO's from outer space, and they are chasing after them in jet planes, as if they are Captain Kirk.
• Alex from Atlanta, GaBecause it says "Everyone's a super hero. Everyone's a Captain Kirk." Because Captain Kirk was a hero. It's just making a reference.
• Emily from Around Chicago, IlI absolutely ♥ this song!!! I only heard it a few times, then my mom bought a CD called "Women of the 80's" and I was addicted. I've heard the song in German one time in a Language Arts class, and it was better, but the English version is good too. (Does anyone know how "Captain Kirk" got weaseled into the lyrics?)
• Glenn from Auckland, New ZealandThis song was recorded as there was talk of the cold war ending. There was still a lot of hysteria and hype regarding nuclear weapons. It sounds hip in German, but sounds naff in English, even though the English lyrics are not a literal or direct translation.
• Kartik from Ahmedabad, IndiaThis song is also featured in the GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY game. The game's story is set in a Miami-like city in the year 1986.
• Billy from Calgary, CanadaVielleicht die beste Musik aller Zeiten.
  
  Notice the air raid siren at the end of the song (English version anyways)
• Lola from Grass Valley, CaThere are some things that just do not translate - nor can they ever be understood by Americans as they have no idea what it is like to think and act GLOBALLY...
• Lola from Grass Valley, CaAnyone who speaks German would see that the English version is quite different from the German/original version. No where in the German version does it mention a toy store - or buying balloons...it is a song about the hysteria caused by 99 balloons being mistaken for UFOs of some sort of enemy invasion. Back in 1984, many Eurpoean artists were inspired by WWI and II. With the fall of the Wall within a few years, emotions ran high and since the wars were fought primarily on their soil, they naturally feel differently about them. This is an insightful poem/song about how something so simple - like a child's balloon - would cause War Ministers to sit up and take notice.
• Alan from Northridge, CaThe song "99 Luftballons" is magnificent in both its thematic scope and musical symmetry. It starts one way, moves into completely different zones and then finishes with yet another brilliant, triumphant stroke. Delivered on the album in both the original German and an English take, "99 Red Balloons," this classic, unique anti-war rock ballad is politically provocative, rapturously euphoric, enigmatic and potentially tragically prophetic.
  
  The music by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, the entire orchestration...it just "takes you there," with the driving bass and also the whimsical treble. All the members of the band seem to complement each other, to understand each other, and play their parts to pop-music perfection. Nena Kerner's voice is sweet and sexy but also feisty and sardonic, taunting.
  
  It is fantastic, surreal, mysterious and yet somehow frighteningly real and poignant at the same time. The metaphors, the layers of the song, are so powerful. It appeals to the child in me, the adult in me, it expresses anger, fear and fantasy, the whole works. It suggests beginnings and endings...
  
  If you think about what balloons symbolize, the concept here is nothing short of ingenious. Balloons represent hope, dreams, happiness, freedom. There are often balloons at a "grand opening" to celebrate something new, great expectations.
  
  The writer of the song, the now-deceased Nena band member Carlo Karges, was at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin back in the '80s when the Berlin Wall was still up. At the end of the concert, they released all these balloons into the sky, and he wondered what would happen if the balloons floated over the Wall and were mistaken for something else, like UFO's. It really could be catastrophic.
  
  What follows is a story about "little misunderstandings" that bring about a big battle over something small: nothing really but a bunch of balloons. Everybody from a general to jet plane riders to war ministers, like Keystone cops, go hunting them down in a fatal confrontation.
  
  The lyrics to the original Teutonic version are closer-to-the-bone, more realistic. If you think of this Armageddon-level scuffle taking place in a city divided, it is more human-scaled. The English take--while still communicating the plot and point of the original--loses the appropriate vantage point, and therefore some of the rich flavor and subtext.
  
  The "letting go" of the balloon at the song's finale, the end of the world perhaps, is also a rich metaphor for forgiveness and giving peace and freedom a chance.
  
• Max from Laconia, NhFirst of all, Mark, you'r an idiot. This is one of the greatest one-hit-wonders of all time and the keyboard riff is awsome! She didnt need any subtlety in this song cause its about how paranoid the world is. Just shut up Mark, no one cares about your stupid comments.
• Rachel from Okc, Okchris:
  the second from last verse translates to:
  99 ministers of war, matches and gas cans
  Everyone wanted to be brave people
  Everyone could sense the booty (Beute is an old german word but in the context means the financial gain of the war)
  Declare/call war and [all] wanted power
  who would have thought that it would have come this far
  becuase of 99 balloons
• Steve from Birmingham, AlI also question whether or not this song was ever actually covered by Blondie...
• Mark from Mayberry, NcThis song is on a list of a very few (thankfully) truly horrible songs that many, many people love, for some reason or the other. The song is an embarrassment that is poorly written, recorded, and performed. No subtlety in these incredibly amateur lyrics. And that cheesy synthesizer riff! Thank God this fraulein was a one-hit wunder.
• Joe from Bellingham, WaNena's version i heard first, on the simpsons. i was so impressed that i tried to find out who samg it and then got bored and quit. about a year later i heard it on the radio and soon found out Nena sang it. I declined to buy the cd. and instead got the goldfinger version. its a song you can kick some ass to!
• Michael from Tucson, AzAt the end of the english version done by Goldfinger you can hear someone say "Goodnight children, everywhere" if you turn it up really loud. That kept me up three nights. It scared the living crap outta me.
• Tony from Topeka, KsWell, you know, anytime ANYONE records a parody of a popular song, people jump to conclusions and say it's Weird Al when it's often actually done by Bob Rivers or some "zany morning DJ" like that.
• Sina from Wounded Knee, SdBlondie also did a cover of this. Then again, what did Blondie NOT do a cover of? :-)
• Jessica from S, WaWhen sung by Goldfinger, this song kicks a$$.
• Gautam from Rockville, MdGuster alludes to this song in their song "Amsterdam" with the line "you were a super high tech jet fighter", which is also in this song.
• Steven from Sunnyvale, Ca99 Dead Baboons was written and sung by Tim Cavanagh.
• Lori from Chicago, IlAlso used in Gilmore Girls-Loreli is listening to it on her tape player before she goes into labor.
• Elisabeth from Branford, CtAnyone remember Weird Al Yankovic's parody of this song? 99 Dead Baboons
• Annabelle from Eugene, OrOn VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders, this appears at #10 in the list. William Shatner says that this song happens to mention his name --- in German!
• Sean from Perth, Australia99 red balloons?? was released in 1983 by Nena in German yet one year later the song was re-written in English. 99 Red Balloons is a song from the 1980?s that displays the continual paranoia caused by political tension. At that period, the world was about 40 years into the Cold War between democratic capitalism, led by the United States and the totalitarian communists, led by the Soviet Union. The first stanza of the song begins with a trip to a toy store to buy 99 red balloons. The little girl sets the balloons free at the break of dawn until she has none left. Balloons are set free all the time, which make her actions seem normal, but her actions did have unexpected consequences. The last half of the first stanza completely reverses the casual mood established by the beginning lines. Back at a military base, ?bugs in the software? accidentally recognize the large number of red balloons as some form of missile barrage. This letting go of 99 red balloons starts world war 3. This song is very similar to the poem ?Icarus Allsorts? by Roger McGough, which also explores a mistake and it?s consequences during the Cold War where there is so much political tension around. The song uses the poetic techniques rhyme and rhythm. The rhyme just allows the song to be targeted at a larger audience because it appeals to a large audience. The rhythm of the song reflects what is happening in the duration of the song. Before the war has broke out and at the end of the song which is at the after math of the war the rhythm is slowed down. Conversely during the war the rhythm is very fast. The repetition of the phrase ?99 red balloons go by? at the end of each stanza continue to remind the audience that at this time of political tension how small of a mistake could cause such devastation. This song relates to the present, as there is similar tension in the world today with such terrorist attacks like September 11, the Bali bombings and the recent London terror attacks. The main reason for the tension is religious and political problems and western civilisation?s problem to accept difference. In the cold war it was the western world not being able to accept a totalitarian, communist government and this still continues today with North Korea. But also our culture based on Christianity does not accept the Muslim culture of Arabic countries.
• Katie from Somewhere, NjThis was also in The Simpsons, the episode where Bart goes to Fat Camp and all the Germans move in and make Homer sing the song (in German).
  
  If anyone missed the link for the web page w/ the translation before, it's [url]http://www.inthe80s.com/redger3.shtml[/url]
• Anastasia from Anaheim, Cathey played this song in the first episode of "My Name Is Earl" which is one damn good show....yeah...just lettin' y'all know.
• Josh from Pleasant Plains, IlThis is a great song, one of my favorites, especially the Goldfinger version. There have been over 50 groups that have sang a version of this song, the most famous being Goldfinger and Nena.
  
  This song is about World War II. Germany was defeated ruthlessly during the war. The country was devistated. "99 dreams I have had/in every one a red ballon" means each balloon represents a dream. "It's all over and I'm standing pretty/in the dust that was a city" means Germany was completely torn up after the war. "If i could find a souvier/just to prove the world was here/and here it is a red balloon/i think of you and let it go" means this person is looking for something to show that Germany once lived...because it looks like a ghost town now. He/She finds it and lets it go because it's useless...Germany was destroyed.
• Bill from Stockton, CaGoldfinger covered this song for the movie 'Eurotrip'.
• Spike from San Bernardino, Cabeeing a young californian kid from the US, you prolly dont think i have a taste in music that you would like, which i prolly dont...but...i love this song, something about it just...mezmorized me as soon as i first heard it...i literally stopped walking with my friends (was playing in a store we passed by)...and had to stay and listen to it....which you prolly dont care, unless your realy bored enough to read all these comments...lol
• Robert from Puyallup, WaGerman isn't as especially sexy language, but I always get a little sexual shiver when Nena sings "ange-MACHT!" :-)
  
  A literal translation of the last verse in the German version would be:
  
  A 99-year war leaves no place for victory
  There are no more war ministers
  And no more jet fighter
  Today, I found myself looking around
  At the world laying in ashes
  I found a little toy balloon
  I thought of you and let it fly.....
  
• Katrine from Gjerlev, DenmarkMy Germanteacher said once that we should hear Nena. All the boys in My class said:"Argh" because they thought that 99 Luftballons was too old. But then, when they first heard the song they loved and so did all the girls. The song really should be published at danish because it's so good. The song tells a lot about the war.
  
  Let's take at danish as well:
  
  Min tyskl�rer sagde en dag at vi skulle h�re Nena. Alle drengene i min klasse sagde:"Argh" fordi de syntes at "99 Luftballons" var for gammel. Men da de så f�rst h�rte sangen elskede de den og det gjorde pigerne også.
  Sangen burde virkelig blive udgivet på dansk fordi den er så god. Den fort�ller meget om krigen.
• Danny from Sydney, AustraliaI want rammstein to cover this song
• Joe from Otawa, CanadaThere is 2 deferent songs one in English and one in German and they both don't say the same things, gust look at this site, www.inthe80s.com/redger3.shtml
• Martijn from Helmond, NetherlandsStreichholz und benzinkanister means match (which you use to light a cigarette f.i.) and petrol can
• Eef from Zoutleeuw, Belgium: 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 Weg?n 99 Luftballons
  
  99 war ministers, matches and petrol, tought they were clever, they wanted good, fat, loots. War and they wanted might, but who has tought, that it would come this far just because of 99 balloons.
  
  This was Nena's first and last number 1 song in Belgium. Nena FT. Kim Wilde, never made it this far. I love the song, but I do consider it a shame that it's been raped in mostly every single way. The punk/rock version is in my eyes only another raped version, also many do think it's just about balloons, and use it actually wrong as soundtracks... but listen and translate the German tekst to it's exact words... It still has deeper meaning than the English version. Nena's way of showing the world war is wrong is through that song, She brings it in a childlike manner. Because she conciders herself still a child. Altough she's now past 40 and has like 4 growing kids. Of all the four versions that have been brought out of this song the original one is the best.
  
• Emma from Nt, AustraliaThis is my favorite song ever made and i know alot about it. The song was origanaly done by a band called nena named after the lead singers fake name. The song was writen by nena about her experience in the german war. she hated it and expressed it in strong words. It was not acsepted by the US because of this they found that it was not understanderble. Nena later translated german to english and changed most of the strong words and meanings to less important meanings to make other people understand. she kept the 3rd verse in english to show her tribute to germany and not losing all the meaning. This song has been redone a large 72!!!!!! times! but this is not put on a cd just for amusment for bands. Punk-rock band goldfinger found this song not understanding it much they disided to do a remake. they got germnan teachers to help them with the pronouncaicon. In the film clip to this song by nena she finds herself walking through army training ground with a red balloon and in the end she lets it go. The song has been put in many different movies, it makes a great soundtrack song. it has been put on such movies as not another teen movie in the football scene and the famous mary-kate and ashley movie "our lips are sealed" in the scene in lunna park. The ongs title Luft meaning air in german and balloon meaning 99airballoons. though in english it was changed to red to show the dramtic side of the song. I LOVE THIS SONG!
  - Emma,NT,Australia allshesgot@hotmail.com
• Chris from Penpedairheol, WalesThe second but last verse, when translated into English makes no sense to me...can someone improve upon my translation?
  
  German:
  
  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
  Weg?n 99 Luftballons
  
  English:
  
  99 War ministers
  Matches and petrol
  Thought they were clever people
  Already smelt the greasy loot
  Shouted: War, and wanted power
  Man, who would've thought that it would've come to this
  Because of 99 balloons?
• Mark from Guildford, EnglandAlso used in a Scrubs episode when JD has to deal with a patient who is German and he wonders how they could communicate, a dream sequence ensues with JD and the patient dancing to the song in a room full of Red Balloons. At the end of the episode he asks the widow (who he's slept with) of a man (who only recently died) he treated, to go out with him. Unfortunately he asks her without realising that her dinner guests are her dead husband's parents and in the awkwardness JD imagines himself with the parents and the woman in the restaurant dancing to the song with red balloons flying around.
  
  The Episode is: My Interpretation

More Songfacts:

I Kissed a GirlKaty Perry

Katy Perry's breakout hit, "I Kissed A Girl," was surprising to those familiar with her past: Her parents were pastors and she started off singing Christian music.

Lifestyles Of The Rich And FamousGood Charlotte

The first Good Charlotte hit, "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous," is a send-up of celebrity culture, but the group's leaders, Joel and Benji Madden, both married celebrities: Nicole Richie and Cameron Diaz, respectively.

The Right ProfileThe Clash

After a devastating car accident, the actor Montgomery Clift had to be filmed from "The Right Profile" to look good - that provided the name of The Clash song.

You're A Friend Of MineClarence Clemons

Clarence Clemons, who played the sax in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, had the biggest solo hit of anyone in the group - aside from Springsteen - when "You're A Friend Of Mine" hit #18 in 1985.

Birds Of A FeatherBillie Eilish

Listen carefully and you'll hear the sound of birds in "Birds Of A Feather" by Billie Eilish. Her brother/producer Finneas couldn't resist putting them in, but he kept them real quiet in the mix.

RioDuran Duran

"Rio" by Duran Duran is a metaphor for America, where the band was trying to break through.

Editor's Picks

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Tim Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Tim and his brother Richard are the Furs' foundation; Tim explains how they write and tells the story of "Pretty In Pink."

Eagles Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Lots of life lessons in these Eagles lyrics - can you match them to the correct song?

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?