30 Day Song Challenge: Day 25: A Song In A Different Language: “99 Luftballons”- Nena. In English it is “99 Redballons.” Oddly the English version didn’t chart in the US while the German version went all the way to #2 being the only hit Nena had in the U.S. Nena was the name of the band- not of the lead singer who is named Gabriele Kerner.
The origins of the song- while at a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin in June 1982 the guitarist for Nena- Carlo Karges noticed balloons being released. As he watched them move towards the horizon he noticed them shifting and changing shapes where they looked like a UFO. He wondered what might happen if they flowed over the Berlin wall and into East Germany. Hmmm. Wonder what he was under the influence of that day.
slicethelife 
No “Komm gib mir deine hand” or “Sie liebt dich?” 🙂
Those were the first two that came to mind- but I thought I’d give The Beatles a rare break.
Nena became very popular in Germany as part of what was called “Neue Deutsche Welle” (literal translation: New German Wave).
Basically, it was a type of German pop music with an emphasis on fun and an anything-goes attitude. Meaningful lyrics and musician craftsmanship were secondary concerns. The results were clearly mixed.
I think Nena is still around.
German or English, English or German? Which is the better one?
Why German, of course
Otherwise this post would about 99 Red Balloons. Haha
On this song I’d have to think the German is.
I love both songs. I read that the German lyrics are nowhere near the English lyrics.