2 ms·

Thank you for pointing that out - I never paid much attention to the lyrics (my German isn't great). Fitting prelude and postlude to Alphaville - Forever Young

• somenameforme 4y ago
  Wow! I was just about to say they did the song in English as well, when your post sent me on a web crawl. I never realized that the English version is "censored"! The English version is relatively playful and only really references the worst in metaphor. Whereas the German version overtly describes the reality of war, and what motivates it. This makes the Goldfinger cover (which is awesome) make all the more sense. At one point he starts singing in German and I always just assumed it was for style. In reality - he's singing the "real" song, and one of the most critical parts "censored" for the English version. This is what he's singing in German: ---- "Ninety-nine ministers of war Matches and petrol cans (gasoline cans) They regarded themselves as clever people Already on the scent of fat quarry They shouted "War" and wanted power Man, who would have thought That someday it would come as far as this Because of ninety-nine balloons" ---- It's a shame he stops there since the German ending is also dramatically better, "Ninety-nine years of war. Left no place for victors. There are no longer any ministers of war. And also no jet fighters. Today I'm making my rounds. I see the world lying in ruins. I have found a balloon. I think of you and let it fly." The English version ending speaks in metaphor and can even be interpreted to mean it might have just been a dream. ---- Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiwgOWo7mDc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiwgOWo7mDc Goldfinger Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQFplXS0DIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQFplXS0DIM English Lyrics ("censored") - https://genius.com/Nena-99-red-balloons-lyrics https://genius.com/Nena-99-red-balloons-lyrics English Lyrics (translated from German) - https://lyricstranslate.com/en/99-Luftballons-99-Luftballons.html https://lyricstranslate.com/en/99-Luftballons-99-Luftballons...
  • e12e 4y ago
    I'm fairly certain the Norwegian broadcasting service (NRK) usually plays the German version - but I might be misremembering. I suppose now would be the time to find out, given the news cycle - I'm sure some clever dj has dug it up... Btw, original "official" music video: https://youtu.be/Fpu5a0Bl8eY https://youtu.be/Fpu5a0Bl8eY