99 Red Balloons
No On 15 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!"
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 springs to life
Opens up one eager eye
Focusing it on the sky
Where ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine decision street
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
Ninety-nine knights of the air
Ride super high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a super hero
Everyone's a captain kirk
With orders to identify
To clarify and classify
Scramble in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine dreams I have had
In every one a red balloon
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
And here is a red balloon
I think of you, and let it go
The song "99 Red Balloons" is a protest song by the German band Nena, originally released in 1983. The song features lyrics that describe the release of 99 red balloons in the sky and the subsequent panic they cause among military forces who mistake them for UFOs. The song is often seen as a political statement about the Cold War and the threat of nuclear warfare.
The song begins with the singer and another person buying a bag of balloons from a toy shop and releasing them into the sky, watching as they gradually disappear. However, as the balloons float into the path of military radars, they are mistaken as a threat, causing an escalating reaction from the military. The chorus repeats the phrase "99 red balloons" as the situation grows more intense, with ministers calling for troops and the president becoming involved.
The third verse introduces the concept of "knights of the air," referring to fighter pilots who are sent to intercept the balloons. In a parallel to the world of comic books, every person becomes a superhero, presumably to illustrate the idea that everyone has a role to play in the face of a threat. The song ends with the singer reflecting on the destruction caused by the military's actions and finding solace in a single red balloon.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I in a little toy shop
We, as individuals, were at a small store that sells toys.
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got
We used the money that we had to purchase a bag of balloons.
Set them free at the break of dawn
We released the balloons in the sky during sunrise.
'til one by one they were gone
Gradually, the balloons flew away and disappeared.
Back at base bugs in the software
At headquarters, there were issues with the computer programs.
Flash the message: "something's out there!"
Suddenly, there was a message on-screen indicating that there was something present nearby.
Floating in the summer sky
The balloons were moving through the air during a season of warmth and sunshine.
Ninety-nine red balloons go by
There were a total of ninety-nine balloons, which were all colored red, that drifted past.
Panic bells, it's red alert
The alarm bells sounded indicating an urgent state of emergency.
There's something here from somewhere else
There was an unidentified object detected that was not from the surrounding area.
The war machine springs to life
The military machinery was activated and mobilized.
Opens up one eager eye
The military technology was being prepared to detect this unknown presence.
Focusing it on the sky
The military equipment was directed towards the sky.
Where ninety-nine red balloons go by
This was the location where the balloons were previously observed moving about.
Ninety-nine decision street
There was an important street identified that held significance.
Ninety-nine ministers meet
A vast number of ministers gathered together to discuss a particular matter.
To worry, worry, super scurry
There were many concerns that were driving these officials to be very anxious and take swift action.
Call the troops out in a hurry
Soldiers were summoned to get into action as soon as possible.
This is what we've waited for
The officials felt that this moment had finally come after a prolonged wait.
This is it, boys, this is war
The soldiers were given instructions that this was an instance of combat.
The president is on the line
The highest-ranking political authority was connected via communication channels.
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
The event of the ninety-nine balloons was still in the process of happening at that moment.
Ninety-nine knights of the air
There were a total of ninety-nine fighter pilots that were assembled.
Ride super high-tech jet fighters
The pilots were operating advanced jet aircraft of extraordinary quality.
Everyone's a super hero
Each one of the pilots was considered to be a heroic entity.
Everyone's a captain kirk
All the pilots had a demeanor that was reminiscent of James T. Kirk, the legendary captain of the Starship Enterprise in 'Star Trek.'
With orders to identify
They were informed to determine the nature of the situation.
To clarify and classify
They had to analyze and categorize their observations.
Scramble in the summer sky
The pilots rushed to take off into the sky as quickly as they could.
Ninety-nine red balloons go by
The passing of the ninety-nine red balloons was still ongoing at that particular moment.
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
The balloons were still moving about in the air at that instant.
Ninety-nine dreams I have had
There were a total of ninety-nine dreams that the artist experienced.
In every one a red balloon
In each one of these dreams there was a red balloon present.
It's all over and I'm standing pretty
Everything had come to an end and the artist was doing alright for the moment.
In this dust that was a city
The area the singer was in was a once city but now in ruins with a layer of dust.
If I could find a souvenir
The artist was searching for a keepsake item.
Just to prove the world was here
It was important for the singer to provide evidence that the planet existed at one point.
And here is a red balloon
The singer located a red balloon that is being used as a souvenir.
I think of you, and let it go
The singer recalls thoughts of someone from the past and then releases the balloon into the air.
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.