What in the fuck is a luftballoon…?
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Rather than just look up the English lyrics, I ran the German lyrics to 99 Luftballons through Babelfish. Apparently, a “luft” balloon is no different from a “balloon” (those sneaky Germans).
Anyhow, enjoy!
—-
You have something time for me
Then I sing a song for you
Of 99 ballons
On their way to the horizon
Perhaps you think degrees ‘ of me
Then I sing a song for you
Of 99 ballons
And that sowas of sowas comes
99 ballons
On their way to the horizon
One held for uFOs from the universe
Therefore a general sent
‘ ne flier relay afterwards
To give alarm, wenn’s so more waer
War’n there on the horizon
Only 99 ballons
99 jet military planes
Everyone was a large krieger
Held themselves for Captain Kirk
That gave large fireworks
The neighbours gerafft nothing
And felt equivalent put on
One shot on the horizon
On 99 ballons
99 war Ministers
Match and gasoline can
Held themselves for smart people
Witterten already greases booty
Scoring: War and wanted power
Man, who would have that thought
That it comes once so far
Because of 99 ballons
99 years war
Left no place for winners
War Minister gibt’s no more
And also no nozzle fliers
Today pull I mean rounds
Seh ‘ the world in rubble lie
‘ ‘ nen ballon found
Think ‘ of you and let ‘ it fly
“Everyone was a large krieger”
Everyone? that’s just a damn gross generalization.
As Jeremy observes, it’s merely German for balloon. However, I can remember an MTV VJ unconvincingly explaining that it meant “red” in keeping with the title of the English version of the song. As I recall, Nena also displayed her hairy armpits in the video.
Yes, I think you would lie to me. But it was awfully nice of you to clear the floor.
[/everyone wants to get into the act]
I always thought that they were “hot air ballons”, but I have no great reason for thinking that.
German code word for “Arschloch.”
Dumb song, that.
Jeff, you don’t even need to make an appearence anymore, you just throw us the meat and let us have it
Jim- cracking me up!
uh, that’s appearance.
I rememeber when the english version came out, it made even less sense than the German one. How was that possible?
Because in the English version, the Witterten doesn’t already grease booty, and nothing makes less sense than that.
You know, come to think of it, Adam Curry has a blog; maybe we should go ask him.
Beats Ramstein. I have nothing further to say.
Check out Guster’s recent version of this song. It’s a bunch of strung together “German” words (e.g. Fahrvergnugen, Sergeant Schultz, etc.)
Good stuff. I’ll try to find a link.
It’s unpossible!
I’m particularly fond of this line:
“And that sowas of sowas comes”
…it almost makes sense, if you kind of adopt a gangsta rap voice, which I’m sure Nena can do quite admirably.
Andy…I would’ve disagreed, but then I went and looked at . She sounds pretty tough, and that is the best cartoon of a bug humping a flower that I have ever seen. And I mean that.
Andy…I would’ve disagreed, but then I went and looked at . She sounds pretty tough, and that is the best cartoon of a bug humping a flower that I have ever seen. And I mean that.
7 Seconds did a good cover version of that song, but it didn’t make any sense either. But Nena could make as little sense as she wanted to for all me, as long as she was whispering it in my ear at the time.
See this is why I stick to John Prine Songs.
Wow, someone else has heard of 7 Seconds?
Tonight, I shall go to bed a happy man.
But that has more to do with my wife and her feminine wiles than the Cold Fury guy knowing about a band, of course.
The phrase 99 B52’s fit the lyrics well..
99 B- fifty twoooos
flying through the baghdad night
198 beehives over Baghdad? I don’t get it.
I thought there were only 4 or 5 B-52s; then again, I really stopped listening after “Rock Lobster.”
You can’t use an on-line translater and expect it to make sense. I played ice hockey in germany for a few years, they have slang just like us. English songs plugged into translaters make no sense at all in German. And by the way, a “luftballoon” refers to that specific kind of balloon, the kind you get at a little toy shop…
This thread is dead, but I translated the German part of the English version, and here’s what I got…
Rather than,
99 war Ministers
Match and gasoline can
Held themselves for smart people
Witterten already greases booty
Scoring: War and wanted power
Man, who would have that thought
That it comes once so far
Because of 99 ballons
Try,
99 war ministers
Who had already kicked ass
Thought they were pretty smart
With a match and can of gasoline
War and lust for power prevails.
Man, who would have expected
That all this came to be
Because of 99 party balloons?
Luft is air. Ein Luftballoon is simply “air balloon.” The german language combines a lot of words. Oh, and i think “sowas” means “each”, so that line means, and that each of each comes. The german one makes sense if you translate it properly, the english version is just changed so it rhymes and is probably why it doesnt make sense.