The original '99 Red Balloons' was sang by the artist Nena in 1984. Nena was born in Hagen, Germany and the song was titled '99 Luftballoons' in German but the English translation is '99 Red Balloons.' There has been many covers made by English artists of this song and I will be posting a cover by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, a punk cover band, since that's the only version that I have on my computer at the moment, and I certainly wouldn't want to be doing any illegal file sharing, plus, I don't know how many people would understand the original version in German anyways.
(I will post an English translation of the lyrics at the end of my post so no one has to go digging for them if they don't already know them).
So '99 Red Balloons' is an anti-war song and could be more specifically an anti-cold war song. Germany was the country that was stuck inbetween the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, during this period of tension and conflict.
I found the following opinion online while searching around about this song: "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" (www.songmeanings.net).
I find that, judging by the lyrics, the previous quote does seem to be an accurate description of this song and it's historical significance; since that person articulated their interpretation of the song better than I probably could, I will let those words speak for my thoughts as well.
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
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