From: vintageapplemac@gmail.com   
      
   In article <10n27ih$1ugtq$2@dont-email.me>, Cryptoengineer   
    wrote:   
      
   > On 2/17/2026 9:33 AM, scole wrote:   
   > > In article <10n1ude$bou$1@panix2.panix.com>, kludge@panix.com (Scott   
   > > Dorsey) wrote:   
   > >   
   > >> scole  wrote:   
   > >>> In article <10ml8tl$1nb3i$1@dont-email.me>, quadi   
   > >  wrote:   
   > >>>>   
   > >>>> This news item reminded me of the famous German song about how a young   
   > >>>> couple's release of ninety-nine helium balloons to celebrate their love   
   > >>>> accidentally triggered a global thermonuclear war.   
   > >>>   
   > >>> Holy shit! I've listened to that song many times (both German and English   
   > >>> versions, although I don't barely understand any German at all the   
   > >>> original language version does have more of a bop to it!) and clearly   
   have   
   > >>> never listened to it remotely hard enough to pick up on that - I've   
   always   
   > >>> just thought it was a lovely bouncy party song!   
   > >>   
   > >> In the English version we have the young couple releasing balloons   
   that sets   
   > >> off the alarm.   
   > >>   
   > >> In the German version it's not clear where the balloons came from, and the   
   > >> word "luftballoon" would indicate a military balloon and not a party   
   balloon   
   > >> according to my German roomate-at-the-time-that-song-came-out.  The German   
   > >> lyrics are very much more dark than the English ones.   
   > >>   
   > >   
   > > Right, I'm going to hit Google up for some translated lyrics - I need to   
   > > get to the bottom of this, it sounds absolutely fascinating and,   
   > > understandably given Germany's mid-80s Cold War status, dark as pitch!   
   > > Still an absolute banger of a song, though!   
   >   
   >   
   > 99 Red Balloons (Album Version)   
   > Song by Nena   
   > 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, sparks in the software   
   > Flash the message "something's out there"   
   > Floating in the summer sky   
   > 99 red balloons go by   
   >   
   > 99 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   
   > The 99 red balloons go by   
   >   
   > 99 Decision Street   
   > 99 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 99 red balloons go by   
   >   
   > 99 knights of the air   
   > Ride super high-tech jet fighters   
   > Everyone's a superhero   
   > Everyone's a Captain Kirk   
   > With orders to identify   
   > To clarify and classify   
   > Scrambling the summer sky   
   > 99 red balloons go by   
   >   
   > As 99 red balloons go by   
   > 99 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 the prove the world was here   
   > And here is a red balloon   
   > I think of you, and let it go.   
      
   Thanks. I went and found a direct translation of the original German and   
   it is, naturally, very different - same broad sentiment, though.   
      
   Mad thing is, like I said, I've heard this song God knows how many times   
   over the years and have always liked it, but clearly have never actually   
   *listened* to it as I had no idea of this rather dark undercurrent within   
   it!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)