brooks@ihuxl.UUCP (Carole Brooks) (01/26/84)
Who does this song? I know it's a foreign lady, I've also heard a version of the song in another language. (Swedish?) I really think it's a neat song, very different and I only hear it on WXRT 93FM in Chicago. Any other XRT listeners heard this? Carole Brooks ihuxl!brooks
james@umcp-cs.UUCP (01/27/84)
Carole: It is interesting that you hear it on only one station in your area, since "99 Red Balloons" is very popular in this area (Wash. D.C.), and was most requested for at least the past week. Any radio station in this area that plays popular/new music plays it frequently. I like the song, but I don't really get the connection between the red balloons and the main theme, which is war. What is the relationship? --Jim
rossen@uiucdcs.UUCP (01/28/84)
#R:ihuxl:-86400:uiucdcs:10800021:000:648
uiucdcs!rossen Jan 27 11:31:00 1984
Aniticipating the response from the many who will pounce on this one, I
will stick to the basics:
1) "Ninety-Nine Red Balloons" and "Neunundneunzig Luftballoons" are the
English and German versions of the same song, by Nena (note spelling).
2) The song is apparently about how paranoia touched off by the sighting
of 99 Red Balloons "floatin' in the summer sky" touches off nuclear
armageddon.
3) Discussion of this tune, including the English lyrics and a translation
of the German ones, appears in "net.records".
--------
". . . Yes? Yes who?"
Ken in Champaign-Urbana
{ihnp4 pur-ee}!uiucdcs!rossendan@brunix.UUCP (David Niguidula) (01/28/84)
99 Red Balloons (originally 99 Luftballoons) is done by a German group called NENA. The lead singer is also known as Nena, and she doesn't speak a word of English. (I've been told that she sang the English version phonetically.) The song is about 99 red balloons which are flying through the air, and somehow get picked up on military radar. Both sides think it's an enemy attack, and set off nuclear missiles. The song ends with one little girl walking through the rubble of civilization and finding one last red balloon.
peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley) (01/29/84)
CFNY-FM had a "Common Market Saturday" today, playing music solely from countries in the EEC. "99 Luftballons" was one of the songs; they played the English version. It turns out that the group, Nena, is not from Germany, but from Luxembourg. Someone asked what red balloons have to do with war-- I think the lyrics say that the 99 balloons, released in a playful moment, set off a missile detection system, leading to mass destruction. At the end of the song, all that's left is one balloon. p. rowley, U. Toronto
mem@sii.UUCP (Mark Mallett) (01/29/84)
b umcp-cs!james says: > It is interesting that you hear it on only one station in your >area, since "99 Red Balloons" is very popular in this area (Wash. D.C.), >and was most requested for at least the past week. Any radio station >in this area that plays popular/new music plays it frequently. I didn't see the article he refered to, but I haven't heard that song on any of the "popular" radio stations around here (Boston/NH). I've only heard it on WFNX (Boston). WFNX is also the only station I've heard play songs from such as Yaz, Depeche Mode, Bongos, Jaluka, and the like; and they're often likely to turn around and play some William Ackerman or old 60's music. Whoops. I rambled. Oh well. Mark E. Mallett decvax!sii!mem
grw@fortune.UUCP (Glenn Wichman) (01/30/84)
99 Red balloons, & the original, 99 Luftballons, which I like
better, both have as their theme 99 toy balloons being mistaken
by military detecting devices as enemy missiles, setting off WWIII.
-Glennram@wgi70.UUCP (02/03/84)
In answer to someone's question, the gourp is Mena. Pronounced 'Mayna'. And if I'm not mistaken they're German. For all you Duran Duran fans out there...Does anyone know what Seven and the ragged tiger means/stands for?? Rick (ram) Messinger