First Time Hearing NENA - “99 Red Balloons” Reaction | Asia and BJ

[@WoodsintheBurg94]

This was an antiwar song. It wasn’t about the balloons or the color, it was about the tense situation between Western countries and the Soviet Bloc countries and how people felt nuclear conflict was a strong possibility. It suggested caution and diplomacy to keep small mistakes from escalating out of control.

[@slutinawhorinskaya]

It's very obvious what the song is about.

[@swtp32]

Definitely about nuclear threat we lived under in Cold War. Well articulated.

[@mrvonfrites]

@@swtp32👌👌

[@fabian4ever69]

You HAVE to listen to the original German version. It doesn't matter if you don't speak the language the song is just great. The English version is weaker. This came out my sophomore year and yes, I was taking German 1. Lol I introduced it to my teacher and we listened to it in class and she printed out the lyrics in both languages. Awesome song! Nena has a great duet with another 80s artist Kim Wilde on the song "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime."

[@brianfournierjr7438]

I totally agree, The original version just sounds way better!

[@matthewgreen6131]

I third this statement.

[@moe92870]

I 4th

[@nealm6764]

The german version is better because you don't know how insipid the lyrics are, and you think it is something deep.

[@paulonius42]

​@nealm6764 How are the lyrics insipid?

[@swfcocs1]

The original German version is "99 luft balloons" and was more explicitly an anti war/anti nuclear weapons song, the translation for the UK market lost some of the meaning. On a more basic level I remember every lad in my class has the biggest crush on Nena since Debbie Harry from Blondie first emerged in the UK charts 😅😅😅

[@Taylorswiftfan13308]

This German version/English version incident reminds me of another such song, the artist is Hubert Kah. In English, it is "The Picture" in German it is called "Wenn der Mond die Sonne berührt" Though I like the German original better, I personally think both versions are pretty great with that one and I think "The Picture" would be an option if you ever found yourselves scrambling for a song for in here one day.

[@swfcocs1]

@Taylorswiftfan13308 yeah I remember that as well,you're right

[@ianhamilton2035]

I'm 62, and still have a crush on Nena!! 😃

[@Treinbouwer]

Luftballons*

[@NickHeaze]

As a cold war kid, this was pretty big eye opener that in fact this isn't about red balloons at all but nukes.

[@RobertTamagne]

You are one of very few of the commenters that understand this. We are a minority Nick.

[@kf9346]

Growing up in the 80s, a lot of our time was spent worrying about nuclear war and a lot of music featured nuclear war or the Cold War in the songs somehow. (Every Christmas during my high school years I went to bed convinced the USSR would launch missiles that night). There was a line ("The Iron Curtain") dividing Western Europe-democratic, capitalist and allied to the US; from Eastern Europe, allied to/controlled by the USSR and all communist. It was very hard to cross that line. We in North America (I’m from Canada) had about 30 mins to prepare once the nuclear sirens went off, but in Europe, they (both sides) had an average of 2 minutes warning. Ground zero for this really scary divide was Germany-3/4 of Germany was West Germany and allied to the US, but 1/4 was East Germany (the "DDR") and allied to the USSR. But, inside East Germany, most of Berlin was part of West Germany and surrounded by a wall (so a wealthy, democratic city encircled by a poor, communist military dictatorship that wanted the city and tried to stop its citizens from going there or seeing any thing from it). The world came close to nuclear war many times due to accidents and panics. This song is about an incident of balloons being released in West Berlin (totally surrounded by East Germany) which set off panic in the East German and USSR militaries, almost causing a nuclear war. The irony of a kid’s simple pleasure of balloons causing men of power to destroy the world underscored the stupidity of the nuclear arms race and the insanity we had to accept as a fact of life.

[@ruserious9577]

The most concise appraisal I've seen out of the hundreds I've read over the years. Thx for the insight.

[@kf9346]

@@ruserious9577 Thank you

[@TonyM1961]

Things to keep in mind about this song... Translation from one language to another always loses something. This came out toward the end of the Soviet Union. Germany was still divided in two, the wall was still up and the cold war was still happening. Put those together and her message about avoiding war and nuclear weapons takes on an entirely different perspective than we have today

[@CerebralAptitude]

99 Balloons was reference to a country thought the balloons in the air were bombs/missles by mistake and it is how the next World War started and every country was turned to dust by the end of the global war.

[@thomascain8747]

I was an Army brat in Germany in the 70s and early 80s. We lived about 40 miles from the Warsaw Pact border between East and West Germany. There were always EDRE (Emeregency Deployment Readiness Excercises) which were scary enough and then there were also NEO (Nuclear Emergency Order) alerts. When the NEO alerts went off it was to simulate what would happen if the "balloon went up" which was a term for nuclear war. This song was very appropriate when it came out.

[@User2718218]

It's about the world being in a continuous state of being on the edge of nuclear war. And the irony in harmless red balloons, something you would find in a children's birthday party, triggering the end of the world. In 1984 we were much closer to being on the edge of nuclear war than we are now, but it still is out there. One day in the 1980s a computer chip failed and it almost triggered the start of a nuclear war. The song is about living under the threat of The Bomb. And don't forget that in 1984 Germany was divided into two. Most people never thought that Germany would ever be reunited.

[@pattiecake11]

Exactly!!

[@bryanCJC2105]

Both the English and the original German versions were played on the radio. The German version is pretty cool and it was popular in clubs! Everyone liked it even though we had no idea what she was saying. There were a few songs that were popular here in both English and their original German. "Major Tom", "Rock Me Amadeus", "Trans Europa Express", "Da Da Da", and "Der Kommissar" were all big hits.

[@halhortonsworld5870]

The original German version '99 Luft Baloons' was actually the popular version here in USA. Back in the day, you heard it everywhere, and hardly ever heard the English version.

[@Marktheshark-e7f]

I could be mistaken but i think i remember 99 luft balloons being the highest charting non English vocals in the US. 99 red balloons w ans a minir hit, then a couple months later radio stations started playing the German version and it was one of the biggest hits if the year. I grew up in Wisconsin USA,

[@mkmstillstackin]

This tune was MAMMOUTHLY HUGE back in the early days of MTV and (early 80's) I was a huge fan! I highly recommend listening to the German version too! Although I don't speak a lick of German, the lyrics just sound slightly cooler, for some reason. I love both versions though. Thanks for doing this one!

[@Stick-a-fork-in-Gmorks-tort]

NENA is still kicking ass especially live performances. I hardly get to listen to the English version so this was a treat. This inspired John Forte's - Ninety Nine (Flash The Message) Featuring Wyclef Jean, Pras & Jenny Fujita back in '99.

[@Fritzw75]

Nena was a fox back in the early 80s for sure!

[@jjr9792]

It was about something accidentally starting WW3 during the cold war. Apparently it was written about a bunch of balloons released at a music festival, some started floating towards/over the Berlin Wall, and they thought "OMG, what if something like this was misread by the other side (USSR) as an "attack", and triggered a nuclear response. The English version "Bugs in the software" likely relates to an actual incident when the nuclear "computers" in the US went nuts, and went all the way to defcon 2 by themselves, and had to be manually overwritten to stop them from going to Defcon 1 and potentially launching nukes.

[@susanrombak7959]

Yes, you are right-on Asia and BJ that the lyrics are regarding a warning or a story of impending war on the most simplistic or unreasonable reasons. When this song came out it was at the end of the Cold War and fall of Berlin Wall. We can’t forget that world in general has always been going through turbulent times and that hasteful decisions can end in disaster.

[@joanlajara3939]

So strange you’re doing this reaction! I told my sons about this song, they decided to play this song with their band, my younger son was lead singer and even learned how to sing in German!! One of my favorites!!two generations later!!

[@christianbeuchling9546]

... das ist einfach nur ein scheisslied aus der "neuen deutschen welle zeit" sonst nix !!!

[@surlechapeau]

Asia & BJ, excellent one-hit wonder in the US. 1983. She had several top 5 and top 40 hits in Europe. Catchy song.

[@WOranos]

The German version of this song played on local radio in Canada when it came out. It's a nice example of how much more diverse music was back in the 80s. I also remember the German version of Major Tom, Rock Me Amadeus and Vienna Calling, all getting air time on commercial radio. And Da Da Da, of course, but I don't think I ever actually heard the English version of it.

[@darkphyn]

We did this at karaoke when the Chinese balloon turned up!

[@FredPena-rd5cf]

Suddenly its 1981 again and I'm a teenager watching MTV.... those were the days!

[@Yogdog69]

It is an anti war song, set during the end of the Cold War during the Reagan admin.. I was a Yank living on a US base (as a kid, not a soldier) in the UK when this song came out. Germany was (and largely still is) the front line of the Cold War. We (NATO and the US) had nukes pointed at the Soviet Union and the Soviets had them pointed at us, and both sides were nervous, with itchy trigger fingers poised over their respective Big Red Buttons, and the civilians of Germany (and the UK and any of the countries holding US bases) were scared of a Nuke war and having their homes turned into targets because there was a US (or NATO) base in their back yard. The red balloons were representative of a false warning (bright red and full of nothing but hot air)... something that could cause alarm and cause someone to make a big mistake, turning Germany and most of Europe into a radioactive slag heap. (In reality, the balloons probably would not trigger a warning, barely seen on radar if at all.

[@sliceofheaven3026]

The song is symbolic. It was done at the time when germany was still divided into two separate nations (west and east germany aka DDR). There was an actual wall dividing west and east Berlin also from each other. The balloons are just a way to show how tragic the whole divided germany thing was in the first place. The situation was pretty tense at the border crossings in the decades following the second world war.

[@jimglenn6972]

99 Luftballons came out in 1984 almost at the time as the movie “Wargames” was released. They hit on a similar topic. Everyone was worried!

[@AuntieNina68]

I was in high school when this came out. I still love 80s music, but I'm more hip-hip, r&b. This song was cute, for a minute.

[@jopangan8601]

I remember the first time listening to this song in the German version and liked it. It was nice to finally get the English version out so I could understand what they were saying. However, I still liked the German version. You really should watch the original video.

[@SteveMHN]

The German lyrics are completely different to the English lyrics.

[@turdferguson3475]

The point is that missile defense systems mistakenly identified the ballons as an incoming attack, and responded with their own missiles, inadvertently starting World War 3 and destroying civilization.

[@JJ-qh5dn]

somewhat they were ,UFO's (unidentified flying objects) not aliens, and not missiles. They sent up jet fighters to see what they were, and things escalated from there.

[@blagoyavichrod]

Your generation has NO idea how close we were in the 80s of actual nuclear war. Those of us growing up in the 80s didn’t fear nuclear war, we waited for it.

[@DrSpoculus]

And nothing happened. You didn't live through anything we don't live through today..

[@stevenmcanales3813]

Nuclear Missiles!!!!! 99 red balloons = 99 Nuclear missiles!!!!! Anti-war song

[@janethernandez724]

Congratulation, you reacted to the English version of this song. Asia you got it right it a warning, and BJ you too are right the balloons do symbolize something, the many hopes and dreams of so many lives. Initially when this song was released in German we loved it and we had no idea what it was about and then we had a clue when we saw the Official video, yes, visually we had that clue! Eventually the English version of the song came out; this came out during the cold war years in the 1980s. Germany was still divided, East Germany and West Germany are separated by the what was then the Berlin wall According to the song facts website, the following information was the inspiration for this song: Nena's guitarist, Carlo Karges, got the idea for the song at a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. At one point during the show, the band released a bunch of balloons. Carlo watched as one of those balloons drifted over the wall into East Berlin. He imagined a radar picking up that one balloon and mistaking it for an enemy plane. Carlo wrote the lyric and Nena's keyboard player, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, wrote the music. The German version of this song still gets play on the radio these days just so you know. I enjoyed watching your reaction! Peace. ☮

[@marieneu264]

This song is so iconic. Her voice is amazing.

[@eyepatch3769]

Check out the video in her native German 99 Luft Balloons

[@mikerobinson9168]

Hearing this song again made me think of the movie "The Day After" and another movie called "Threads". These movies were made when a nuclear war seemed almost inevitable.

[@kw1333]

Me too. Always think of the scene in The Day After when the guy is running down the country road and is vaporized.

[@James1787Madison]

Nena has had an amazing career in Germany. I like her new stuff, too. Despite being busy wit her career, she raised 5 children.

[@JJ-qh5dn]

4 but who's counting. 4 they all have played in her band.

[@michaelignatowicz9470]

This is one of those songs that will get stuck in your head all day once you hear it ! 😅

[@chrisbricky7331]

The song is about a bunch of people attempting to flee East Germany during the cold war in home made balloons by flying over the Berlin Wall. It is not anti war, more anti communist. But like all opinions, that is mine. Chris

[@swfcocs1]

As I recall the German lyrics supposedly allude to the 99 balloons being UFOs, not necessarily aliens but rather anything unidentified that sets off nuclear attacks and retaliation, though much of the meaning was supposedly lost in translation

[@The_Kiosk]

Remember that when this came out, the Berlin Wall was still up, and she's from West Germany, which was free, but the Cold War was in full effect and this was a powerful anti-war paranoia message that got played everywhere. The German language version also charted. I'd recommend Scorpions "Wind of Change" if you haven't reacted to it.

[@jayconant3816]

Golden age of mtv with this song ,this one hit wonder was all over the radio ,mall ,public pool back in the day, very fun time for music

[@djyanno]

This song reminds me so great memories of my childhood. It's crazy how one song can give you clear and vivid memories of events happening 40 years ago

[@richardvincelette9741]

The bass breakdown in this song is fire 🔥

[@musicluvr70]

The song meaning... Growing up during the Cold War, especially in West Germany, was a conflicted time. The constant threat of nuclear war made Karges (the writer of the song) appreciate the little moments in life. In 1982 during The Rolling Stones concert at The Forest Theatre, Karges witnessed something that would change his life. During the concert, they released hundreds of balloons. The wind carried the balloons out of the open-air theatre and into the night air. Karges wondered what the people in the surrounding area, and in East Germany, made of the balloons. Coupled with a story about high school students releasing 100 weather balloons but only finding 99, Karges had his inspiration. And this was the moment that 99 Luftballons was born. The German lyrics for the song are about two countries at war with each other. One of whom sees the balloons and assumes they’re under attack. They send out fighter pilots, the other country responds. War ministers in each country encourage the war as a power grab. A cataclysmic war results and lasts for 99 years. At the end of the war, the singer discovers a balloon in the wreckage. They pick it up and send it off in memory of those lost. They fought 99 years of war with no winners. The English version of the song follows the sentiment but changes the lyrics and tells a slightly different story. The singer and her friend release 99 helium balloons into the sky. The balloons are picked up by an early warning system and begin a nuclear war. The ending of the song is basically the same as the German version.

[@brians2869]

For me, as a kid in the eighties... I always thought it was a sign of love to the people over the wall... We're sending you these balloons, but it gets misinterpreted as an invasion

[@AmyW-qo4se]

Listened to this a lot growing up and have it on my play list now. Great song!

[@susanneschwarz7104]

Real facts: On 8.June 1982 the Rolling Stones played an Open Air Concert at West Berlin "Waldbühne" and at the end of the show they let go up hundreds of balloons into the sky. 🎈🎈The wind blowed them over the Berlin wall to East Germany. The Guitar Player of the NENA Band named Carlo Karges visited that concert and saw these balloons flowing over the Berlin wall. It was the time during the Cold War between East and West. And he thougt what would happen if the radar in the East Sector will cause an alarm, because of the balloons not identified as balloons but as unidentified objects "UFOs". Would they send jets and pilots like Captain Kirk to shoot them down? What would the War-Ministers do? Could such missunderstandings like balloons start a war and the result would be a destroyed city/world only dust is left? ...... This inspired him to write the lyrics for this song. The German original version tells the complete meaning. Unfotunately the English translation looses a lot of it. The Band choose 99, becuase it fits to the the rhythm. The balloons were real and the fear of a war was big there in Germany in the 80ies during the cold war. But the balloons are also a symbol for little things that can cause missunderstandings and trouble and maybe a war between countries.

[@MoHawk_1970]

One of those songs that as soon as you hear it, your back in the mid eighties!!

[@brians2869]

I love this song in both languages... Esp as a cold war kid

[@jkbezo1]

Fun new wave punk band and song. This was a German band. When we were kids in the '80s we were scared of nuclear war. Cold War. Lot of songs back then had this kind of theme. You guys are good at figuring it out! In the '70, '80s, and early '90s the constant threat of nuclear war between the East (Russia, East Germany, Japan, China, Korea, etc) and West (UK, USA, West Germany, Canada, France, etc) was fearful. Songs and movies had fun but sad meaning during those times.

[@jarretthoward4593]

This song came out in the '80s when the Soviet Union and the USA and NATO were at all time high with tensions building would nuclear arms and then fearing that world war III would happen and nuclear holocaust would be upon the world

[@tasha7094]

I was stationed in Germany in the early 80s and saw her at a music festival. She was great live.

[@AdamBazille]

Need to listen to the original version!

[@Bekka_Noyb]

Early 80s might be my fave era for pop music! dbl ♥

[@macalcord]

Man the change ups in this song are so good!

[@killrinstinx4148]

Just caught your reaction y'all. As a kid of the 80s, the rivalry between the USA and Soviet Union was big. And there was concern over nuclear war. So as my understanding went...... You can hear her talking about generals, calling out the troops, 99 red balloons was a reference to nuclear missiles being launched. Awesome song. I still listen to it

[@quincee3376]

Classic. I actually prefer the German original. I don't speak German but it was awesome. This English version too!!

[@memorylanemodelcars]

BJ & Asia Song is About 2 Girls Celebrating ones Birthday by Launching 99 Helium Filled Balloons for Fun But it Causes a Military Panic unexpectedly Bena Did 2 Versions of This Song a American Version & Gernan Version

[@ninaclausen5467]

Go listen to the original song in German! I became a fan of Nena in 1983 and I still go to her concerts. She’s a great performer and every concert is amazing 🤩 Greetings from Denmark 🙂

[@seanwoods4883]

This song was written before the Berlin wall came down and the people were freed from the soviet oppression. They were messing with the communists on the other side of the wall.

[@j.woodbury412]

According to Wikipedia, the song was inspired by a June 1982 Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. Nena's guitarist Carlo Karges noticed balloons being released in the air and as he watched them move toward the horizon, he saw them shift and change shapes until they looked like strange spacecraft. and he imagined one of them drifting over the Berlin Wall and into the Soviet sector and being mistaken for a spy balloon and starting a nuclear war. The German title "99 Luftballons" actually translates as "99 Air Balloons", but when it was released in English, the phrase "Air Balloons" was changed to "Red Balloons"

[@Michael-xk3sp]

1st time listening to lyrics. Anti-war and funny- Wow!!

[@pattyrick99dad]

The song is about the nuclear annihilation of mistaken red balloons as missiles fired. And yes it was a height of the Cold war between the west and the Soviet block. She says it's all over and I'm standing pretty in this dust. That was a city.

[@boballen818]

As I was stationed in Germany at this time during heightened tensions during the Cold War, the US was placing nuclear missiles in West Germany and England in response to the Soviets placing more missiles in Eastern Germany This anti-war song is about a girl letting go of a balloon and it being mistaken (on radar) as being a missile launch and the inevitable counter response of a mass nuclear missile strike looking like 99 balloons. German version is amazing and the video is 80's iconic!

[@carlbaker7242]

Yall know this song never left my Playlist. Why? Because I like it!!!

[@Badfourgood]

exact translationfrom german..... Do you have some time for me? Then I'll sing a song for you Of 99 balloons On their way to the horizon Maybe you're thinking about me just now? Then I'll sing a song for you Of 99 balloons And that something like that comes from something like that 99 balloons On their way to the horizon They were thought to be UFOs from space That's why a general sent A flying squadron behind To sound the alarm if that were the case There was one there on the horizon Only 99 balloons 99 jet planes Everyone was a great warrior Thought they were Captain Krik There was a big fireworks display the neighbours did not get this And they immediately felt turned on There was a shot at the horizon On 99 balloons 99 Minister of War Matchstick and jerrycans They thought they were smart people smelled a big hunt Cried: “War!” and wanted power Man, who would have thought? That it will come to this one day because of 99 balloons because of 99 balloons 99 balloons 99 years of war Left no room for winners There is no longer a Minister of War And no jet planes either Today I'm doing my rounds See the world in ruins Found a balloon Think of yourself and let it fly

[@susanneschwarz7104]

Btw John Forté sampled that in his song 99 ninety nine (flash the message) and Goldfinger made a Cover-Version of it. Nena is still a great Star in Germany and she will go on Tour in 2024. Check out her albums Licht, Oldschool, Nichts versäumt, Du bist gut, Cover me, Willst du mit mir gehen, It's all in the game, Fragezeichen, Feuer und Flamme, International Album, Chockmah, Live SO36, and much more...

[@deniackeridge5273]

Definitely listen to the German version and watch the video.

[@darrencorder3671]

It was about east vs west berlin germany during the free vs communist sides.

[@markzucker4320]

During the Eighties, there were times when tensions were high between us and the former Soviet Union. The song makes the point, that because of those tensions, something as simple as a bunch of balloons, could potentially trigger world war III and nuclear armageddon. This almost happened in 1983. An early warning center in the USSR detected incoming missiles from the west. The officer on duty, per protocol, was to alert his superiors, he chose to ignore the warning. It turned out to be a false alarm. There is a good chance, had he followed orders, we would not be here now.

[@CdnTrader1]

The German version is better. You also need the video.

[@Caderynwolf]

So, this song came out before the berlin wall fell (1989, and I still remember it), the song itself is related to the division of east and west germany, the height of tensions in europe between the two opposing sides, and the releasing the balloons was enough to ignite war, the balloons themselves are the hopes and dreams and future lost to war. How people that were friends and family are segregated and become enemies. It's telling you there's a better way through freedom and being united while voicing to those in power that violence wont solve anything. Basically it's rage against the cold war, those in charge, for the potential for it to turn "hot" over even the smallest thing.

[@Caderynwolf]

And yes, as others have said, you should listen to the original german version.

[@sagegoodwin1]

Was it Einstein who said "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones"?

[@mistyanderson4567]

I remember watching the video of this song on MTV as a teenager 🤗

[@RICHARD-t1u9o]

Not sure how old you guys are but it made perfect sense in the 80’s, hard to describe to someone who doesn’t remember what it was like before the wall came down.

[@BornRandy62]

those floating baloons filled with helium are made from Mylar for the most part. Those would definitely be displayed on radar. However. As former military radar operator , balloons would not fit the threat profile for a alert. I did track a scud missile during Desert Storm.. It started off as having zero course and speed but the altimeter was spinning off the dial. By the time the track was headed down range it was already above the maximum altitude allowed by international treaty. We kept track on it downrange until it dropped below the magic number and the Patriot Site could establish track and shoot. The black helicopters arrived in the morning to collect the radar data collection tapes.

[@edwardlaw7589]

They are absolutely jamming out with this song

[@Firefly-101]

Doubt any will read this 4 months later, but the song was inspired by a real incident where a flock of Geese triggered Norad that Nuclear Missiles were inbound. They almost launched a counter strike, thus starting WW3, the russians around the same time had their own issue where a solar flare caused their system to think 1 ICBM was heading toward Moscow, the operator correctly realized why would the US fire only 1 missile. Instead of being rewarded he was fired by the USSR.

[@groovydjs]

I like the German version so much better.

[@JDogg1971]

Wow. Haven’t heard this song in a minute! Very different song but it got big for a while back in the day. Great share and reaction! 🤓🤠

[@Londoneye57]

I always thought the 99 red balloons represented nuclear bombs.

[@serbianhammer]

I've always assumed it's Asia singing in the intro right? Anyway the harmonies are so good.

[@BrianBogiaBricky]

Do you like music in general? This guitarist is amazing. I was shocked and amazed when I first saw him play. Marcin - Kashmir on One Guitar (Official Video). To give you a hint on how good he is. Most guitarist plays the strings he plays the WHOLE guitar.

[@nathanswain3011]

This song was based on a Theory that has been around since Russia exploded her first nuclear bomb: And then there were two powers with nuclear weapons: The US and The Soviet Union. Mutual Deterrence. If you bomb us, we're coming right back at you, we might be gone but you will be gone too. So don't try it, and OK, we won't either, We'll just shoot one another with bullets, and sink ships, take ground, etc. Then the great scientists figured out, Wait a minute, when the Balloon goes up (which is an old military saying, meaning serious conflict breaks out suddenly), it could very well happen by accident. Each side only has 20 minutes or so to decide to respond or not. It could be a Pearl Harbor type Sneak attack, trying to catch us (or them) off guard. All that is known is that what looks like a bunch of missiles moving across the Bering Straight, then one side responds, and then the other side responds, and then what does it matter once we're all destroyed, Life on Earth is dead or dying, what does it matter that it was just a large flock of birds, or possibly 99 Red Balloons some kids set off from a park somewhere. Unfortunately, its an all too real nightmare scenario. God save us.

[@jamesbogacki4453]

I saw them at a free concert at a park on Milwaukee Lakefront.The biggest musical festival in the U.S.is Summerfest I haven't been there in few years had big names at all stages. Also i remember Journey was the opening day act on the Main Stage for like 4 or 5 years straight.I remember that because all the girls wanted to go .

[@johndrx165]

This was ALWAYS on MTV in the early days.

[@robyfiorili]

No, you can't listen the english version! You must listen to the german version! 😆

[@kelleewolfe2834]

OMG!! Such a FLASHBACK!!

[@tinastar1972]

Keep in mind that the song was released before the Berlin wall fell. West and East Germany were still considered enemies, but in a political and militant sense, not necessarily by the people. So it speaks to East Germany doing something quite innocent in releasing balloons, but West Germany seeing it as an attack. The Cold War was still a very real threat then, and the last verse speaks to the "what if" if the threat of nuclear war had become a reality and how we would be living in a dystopian society if it had. Sadly, many Germans were separated by the Wall and people could not even see or contact their families.

[@cynthiagarrett6060]

I still rock to this jam

[@jarretthoward4593]

This is about the Cold war and the early '80s when Russia and NATO read each other's throat and nuclear arms was on high alert. So 99 red balloons or luft balloons It's just a meaning that war was nearing world war III was on the brink

[@Michael75579]

There are multiple documented cases of mistakes that almost led to nuclear war, such as simulations accidentally being fed into live systems, sensors mistaking the moon rising above the horizon for a massive incoming missile attack etc. The closest we ever came was probably an incident in 1983 when the Soviet early warning system apparently detected an American launch of 5 ICBMs. Fortunately the person in charge of the Soviet system. Colonel Stanislav Petrov, believed it to be a mistake as it made no sense for an American first strike to be on such a small scale and didn't report the alert to his superiors until after it had been proved to be a false alarm.

[@DopeSauceBenevolence]

I genuinely had no idea there was an English version of this. Holly crap.

[@deeboy4378]

The song was originally released in German, it did so well im America they recorded an English version. . . . I would like to recommend some music, "Rehab, sittin at the bar" . And/or Anything From"Sublime" . . . Im a regular on y'all's movie reaction channel.

[@RandallSmith89]

It's a reference to soviets during the times of the Berlin wall if you pay attention the red balloon stand for missles

[@jndfan]

Oh wow! This was the early days of MTV. The year I graduated from high school I believe. 1983. Good stuff!! Oh the memories. This was the time of the cold war.

[@matthewenies3668]

Germany was in the middle of protests when this song was released over the deployment of US missiles aimed at the Soviet Union. So, this song was all about war and peace

[@dickleijen7761]

Asia and BJ merry Christmas and a happy new 3 from the NETHERLANDS!

[@MrJimi777]

It was the 80s. Russia were called reds. we were in the cold war against them. technology was not so high tec . tensions were high. Guessing the balloons showed up as blips. planes? missiles? trigger happy country's . Independent Love Song - Scarlet or Jane Child - Don't Wanna Fall In Love are some out of the box good songs if your looking

[@Ezekiel-rv3pe]

It doesn't matter if its 2789 this music from this era will always be gold

[@leew6091]

Its just having fun while the world ends. this song is so happy yet sad

[@nathans3241]

A comedic version of this song is called, 99 Dead Baboons.

[@MarchMeadow]

Original German version is the best. Superb. This was released at the height of the Cold War. Nena is beautiful.

[@JJ-qh5dn]

Great fun pop song with a serious underlying message.