What's the meaning of the song "99 Red Balloons" by Nena?

Question

I'm just curious what exactly the lyrics mean.

Answer 1

The song is about the tension between the USA and the former USSR during the Cold War. Trigger happy generals see some unidentified objects in the sky (the balloons) and send a bunch of fighter planes to intercept the objects - this action starts a war. At the end of the war, there is nothing left. Intercepting a bunch of innocent balloons represents the heightened paranoia during the Cold War. (In fact, in November 1983 the former USSR misinterpreted a NATO exercise as an actual preparation for a nuclear strike and readied its own weapons for a preemptive strike.)

Notice these lyrics:
Back at base bugs in the software
Flash the message, something's out there
...
Panic bells it's red alert
There's something here from somewhere else
The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
...
Call the troops out in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it boys, this is war
...
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

The German version is a little bit darker, I think...I don't know German, but here's a translation of the German version. If you read it, you can see it's a bit more direct than the more subdued American version.

Have you some time for me,
then I'll sing a song for you
about 99 balloons
on their way to the horizon.
If you're perhaps thinking about me right now
then I'll sing a song for you
about 99 balloons
and that such a thing comes from such a thing.

99 balloons
on their way to the horizon
People think they're UFO's from space
so a general sent up
a fighter squadron after them
Sound the alarm if it's so
but there on the horizon were
only 99 balloons.

99 fighter jets
Each one's a great warrior
Thought they were Captain Kirk
then came a lot of fireworks
the neighbors didn't understand anything
and felt like they were being provoked
so they shot at the horizon
at 99 balloons.

99 war ministers
matches and gasoline canisters
They thought they were clever people
already smelled a nice bounty
Called for war and wanted power.
Man, who would've thought
that things would someday go so far
because of 99 balloons.

99 years of war
left no room for victors.
There are no more war ministers
nor any jet fighters.
Today I'm making my rounds
see the world lying in ruins.
I found a balloon,
think of you and let it fly away.

Answer 2

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, "Somethings out there"
Floating in the summer sky
99 red balloons go by
99 red balloons floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it's a red alert
There's something here from somewhere else
The war machine springs to life
And opens up one eager eye
Focusing it in the sky
99 red balloons go by
99 Decision Street, where 99 ministers meet
To worry, worry, super-scurry
Call the troops out in a hurry
This is what we've waiting for
This is it boys, this is war
The president is on the line
99 red balloons go by
99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a Silverhero
Everyone's a captain Kirk
With orders to identify
To clarify and classify
Scramble in the summer sky
99 red ballons go by
99 red balloons go by
99 dreams I have had
In everyone a red ballon
Now it's all over and I'm standin' 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
99 red balloons go by

Answer 3

When MTV was just that. According to them Nena went to a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin. When she was there she saw a red balloon go up. In Germany, seeing a red balloon ment war. She starting thinking of it and made a song about it.

Answer 4

It's 99 luft balloons & luft is German (so is Nena)for air & well balloons is balloons.I was in Gemany 3 1/2 years,US Army.

Answer 5

99 luftballoons, the red bit was added to the english translation. It's all over and I'm standing pretty in the dust that was our city. I'd like to find a souveneir just to prove the world was here, and here it is a red balloon, it think of you and let it go.

If memory serves. Futile nature of war.
Great song, some great covers of it too, I still prefer the german version

Answer 6

it is about a country jumping the gun and firing off its missles when they thought they were under attack, when in reality, it was just 99 red balloons, that caused the end of the world.

Answer 7

the pointlessness of war. read all the lyrics. it makes sense. some country's radar showed a "threat" and it was just a balloon, but they shot off their missiles anyways...

Answer 8

omg now its stuck in my head...99 RED BALLOONS GO BY..arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Answer 9

i thought it was about war. or something. with the red balloons. going by.

Answer 10

Its to do with the threat of nuclear war and how easily it could be started.