The very dark meaning behind an 80s pop classic

[Spicechinodiva]

Inspired by @DonoDotto Madonna's Issac.

 

Growing up. Still today. Some of the best pop music came from the 80s. One of my fav acts NENA (studied German in school just to understand what she's saying). Her biggest US hit is the German version 99 Luftballons. There's an English version. But as this video points out. The English version ended on a happy optimistic note. 

 

The English translated German lyrics tells you in 1983. It didn't end happy. 

 

German was in a cold war. Nobody knew if it was gonna get worst. Ultimately it didn't. But in 83. Future was very bleak and very dark. Plus at that time Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany. 

 

Nena as an artist is still an icon in the German world. She just recently released a new single "Licht". She also a few years ago performed 99 Luftballons at a G8 summit in Australia just as Trump took presidency. 

 

I'll put both German and English version. You can definitely tell the Anglo English version was altered heavily to make it happy. 

 

It's still to this day. The most successful German song of all time worldwide almost 40 years after it's release.

 

 

[Spicechinodiva]

US version 

[Spicechinodiva]

German version with English translated German lyrics

[Jordan Miller]

 

[Puppy]

I heard it asa kid and thought Gee 99 balloons a lot...didn’t think it was sad till college when some bozo did a “ did you know?”