99 Red Balloons
Goldfinger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 something's out there
Floating in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it's red alert
There's something here from somewhere else
The war machine, it springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
And focusing it on the sky
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine Decision Street
Ninety-nine ministers meet
To worry, worry, super scurry
Call out the troops now in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it boys, this is war
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
Neunundneunzig Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich für schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: „Krieg“ und wollten Macht
Mann, wer hätte das gedacht?
Dass es einmal so weit kommt
Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
Neunundneunzig Luftballons
Ninety-nine dreams I have had
In every one, a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standing pretty
In the dust that was a city
If could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here
And here it is, a red balloon
I think of you and let it go
The lyrics to Goldfinger's song "99 Red Balloons" describe the story of two people who release a bunch of red balloons into the sky, only to have them mistaken as a potential threat by military forces who scramble jets to investigate. The song is a commentary on the absurdity of military paranoia and how the slightest things can be perceived as a threat leading to a full-scale conflict. This interpretation is clearly evident in the lyrics "Ninety-nine decisions treat, ninety-nine ministers meet, to worry, worry, super scurry, call the troops out in a hurry, this is what we've waited for, this is it boys, this is war, the president is on the line, as ninety-nine red balloons go by." This part of the song emphasizes the escalation of conflict that starts with the release of the balloons and ends with preparation for war due to a simple misunderstanding.
The final verse of the song is a somber reflection on the destruction that follows after war. The lyrics "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" suggest that the singer has survived a catastrophic event and is searching for something to remember their pre-war life. The red balloon that the singer lets go represents a longing for simpler times before war and violence.
Overall, the song is a powerful anti-war anthem that highlights the destructive potential of human conflict and how easily a situation can escalate out of control. The song's catchy tune and poignant lyrics have made it a cult classic that resonates with audiences even today.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I in a little toy shop
Two people are in a small store that sells toys
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got
They purchase a bag of balloons using the limited amount of money they have
Set them free at the break of dawn
They release the balloons early in the morning when the sun is rising
Till one by one they were gone
The balloons float away until there are none left
Back at base, sparks in the software
At a military base, there are electrical charges in the computer programs
Flash the message 'somethings out there'
There is a notification that something is approaching in the airspace
Floating in the summer sky
The red balloons are drifting in the sky during summertime
Ninety nine red balloons go by
There are 99 red balloons floating in the sky
Panic bells, its red alert
Alarms are ringing, signaling a serious situation
There's something here from somewhere else
An object that is not from this area has been detected
The war machine springs to life
Military equipment and personnel become active and ready for battle
Opens up one eager eye
The military is scanning the sky with vigilance
And focusing it on the sky
The concentrating their attention on the sky
The ninety nine red balloons go by
The balloons continue their journey
Ninety nine decisions treat
Many decisions need to be made
Ninety nine ministers meet
Politicians are discussing the situation
To worry, worry, super scurry
People are worrying and rushing around frantically
Call the troops out in a hurry
Military personnel are called into action immediately
This is what we've waited for
People were anticipating an event like this
This is it boys, this is war
The situation has elevated to a full-scale conflict
The President is on the line
The commander in chief is involved in this event
As ninety nine red balloons go by
The red balloons can still be seen in the sky
Ninety nine knights of the air
Pilots in advanced aircraft
Ride super high-tech jet fighters
They are operating sophisticated military planes
Everyone's a super hero
The pilots are perceived as heroic figures
Everyone's a Captain Kirk
All the pilots are being compared to fictional starship commander James T. Kirk
With orders to identify
They have orders to recognize the enemy
To clarify and classify
They need to confirm and categorize the situation
Scrambling the summer sky
The planes disrupt the peaceful summer sky
As ninety nine red balloons go by
The red balloons continue to float while this military activity takes place
Ninety nine dreams I have had
The singer has had many dreams
In every one a red balloon
Each dream contains a red balloon
It's all over and I'm standing pretty
The conflict has concluded and everything is peaceful again
In this dust that was a city
A city that has been destroyed is now in ruins
If could find a souvenir
If the singer could locate a memento
Just the prove the world was here
To have evidence that people once lived there
And here is a red balloon
The singer has found a red balloon
I think of you and let it go
The singer releases the balloon and remembers someone
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joern-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Carlo Karges, Kevin Mc Alea
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fathurrahman4978
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, something's out there
Floating in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by
[Verse 1]
Ninety-nine red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it's red alert
There's something here from somewhere else
The war machine springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
[Verse 2]
Ninety-nine decisions treat
Ninety-nine ministers meet
To worry, worry, super scurry
Call out the troops now in a hurry
This is what we've waited for
This is it, boys, this is war
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
[Bridge]
Neunundneunzig Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich füare schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer hätte das gedacht?
Daß es einmal so weit kommt
Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
Neunundneunzig Luftballons
[Outro]
Ninety-nine dreams I have had
And every one a red balloon
It's all over, and I'm standing pretty
In the dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here
Here it is, a red balloon
I think of you and let it go
@thepopculturedude1606
YOOOO! I SHOUTED WITH JOY, THAT THIS SONG PLAYED IN SONIC MOVIE 3!
First of all, I was obsessed with GoldFinger’s cover of 99 Red Balloons when I was a teen in high school.
And now the fact, that it’s in the third Sonic film.
It perfectly captures the early 2000s rock vibes of Sonic The Hedgehog.
@MeanGreenGood2Go
Sonic fans rise up
@justsplotch
IVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND IT FOR SO LONG THANK YOU
@mrflipperinvader7922
As soon as I heard this on the soundtrack I was like, this is going to be a great film
@generalpootis5317
dude same this song reminded me so much of sonic already, and I knew this song before Sonic 3! I too screamed when they included this song
@Izhen_UwU
This song was also present on Gran Turismo 3
Back in the day I used to play that game a lot
And when this song started playing in the "sonic team race" scene I was smiling all the time.
@wilbertaguilar9058
1:09 It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a air hedgehog!!
@lucianomolinas6756
😂😂
@justsplotch
NINETY NIIIIINE RED BALLOONS 🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@TotalZen-oe6xe
lands through a hoop as a ball