99 Luftballons [English translation]

Stay where you are, don’t move from here:

I know a song you’ll want to hear

About ninety-nine balloons

Floating high up as the moon.

Do you think of me, far or near?

I know a song you’ll want to hear

About ninety-nine balloons,

And how they brought us to our doom.

There were ninety-nine balloons

Floating high up as the moon.

They looked a bit like alien craft;

A general sent a squadron aft(er)

Them, each man a flying ace,

To check if this could be the case,

But all there was was the full moon

And the ninety-nine balloons.

Ninety-nine ace fighter pilots,

Jumpy, prideful and misguided,

Took themselves for Captain Kirk,

And shot their heavy fireworks.

The neighbours on the ground took fright,

And soon were spoiling for a fight,

Even though the air platoon

Shot just the ninety-nine balloons.

Ninety-nine war ministers

Struck matches against petrol canisters.

They thought they were oh so clever;

Dreamed of spoils and power forever.

They called for war to be fought;

Oh, who ever would have thought

That our end would come so soon

Thanks to those ninety-nine balloons?

Just those ninety-nine balloons!

Just those ninety-nine balloons!

Ninety-nine long years of war;

There are no winners any more.

No ministers of war trade threats;

You don’t get many fighter jets.

On my daily rounds today,

Among the ruins and decay,

I found a balloon, let it go,

And then I remembered you.

• Artist:Nena
• Album:Nena (1983)