99 Red Balloons

The song that I have chosen to do first is called 99 Red Balloons origionally writen in German but converted over to English because it became such a popular song. The song was writen origionally by Nena and then several other groups did covers of it including Goldfinger and Blondie. I chose to start off with this song because there is so much meaning behind it and the way that it was writen that I would like to uncover.

Hear/Watch the song here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur79O0S78bs

Origional literally translated lyrics by Nena:

Have you some time for me,
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
On their way to the horizon.
If you're perhaps thinking about me right now
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
And that such a thing comes from such a thing.

99 balloons
On their way to the horizon
People think they're UFO's from space
So a general sent up
A fighter squadron after them
Sound the alarm if it's so
But there on the horizon were
Only 99 balloons.

99 fighter jets
Each one's a great warrior
Thought they were Captain Kirk
Then came a lot of fireworks
The neighbors didn't understand anything
And felt like they were being provoked
So they shot at the horizon
At 99 balloons.

99 war ministers
Matches and gasoline canisters
They thought they were clever people
Already smelled a nice bounty
Called for war and wanted power.
Man, who would've thought
That things would someday go so far
Because of 99 balloons.

99 years of war
Left no room for victors.
There are no more war ministers
Nor any jet fighters.
Today I'm making my rounds
See the world lying in ruins.
I found a balloon,
Think of you and let it fly away.

Lyrics that the cover bands used:

You and I, and 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, bugs in the software
Flash the message, "Some thing's out there
"Floating in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic lads, it's a 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
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine Decision Street
Ninety-nine ministers meet
To worry, worry, super-scurry
Call the troops out in a hurry

This is what we've waiting for
This is it boys, this is war
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine knights of the air
Riding super high-tech jet fighters
Everyone's a super hero
Everyone's a Captain Kirk

With orders to identify,
to clarify and classify
Scrambling in the summer sky
As ninety-nine red balloons go by
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine dreams I have had
Every one a red balloon
Now it's all over and I'm standin' pretty
In this dust that was a city

If I could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go

My Evaluation:

So as you can see, the German version literally translated is much darker than the English version. (however they have much in common.) When you convert something of important context from one language to another it looses it richness, and also possibly its meaning. This song starts out with a child buying 99 red balloons in a toy shop and letting them go just for fun.
Common folk think that they are UFO's, and when they show up on the military's radars,
Generals of armies think they are enemy craft and conteract a percieve nuclear war, before finding out the fact of the situation (that its just the most childlike of things...balloons).
Balloons is a like a Heteronym in this case because it stands for 2 different things:
1. A balloon literally,happiness, childhood
2. Nuclear war, paranoia, hysteria, nothingness
(This writer uses heteronyms throughout)

The writer's attitude and tone in writing this song is one of joy and happiness turned into paranoia and hysteria. She is imagining an innocent child in having fun, and then causing the world to be completely destroyed by a nuclear warfare. She is writing from her perspective of what happened in the 80's when we were worried about every little thing, and letting us know that if we would have taken it too far, we would have been "the dust that was a city."

The breaks in the text allow the author to clearly state each different idea/scenario and allow us as readers to take a break after each 4 line phrase, and really think about what was said. If we were given the song as one big block of text, we would not interpret it the same way and it would not have the same impact. Each paraphrase is distinct to the overall song and allows us to flow more easily through it and put it together as a whole.

Using heteronyms is quite common when writting about things that are emotional for the writer and reader. They leave a sense of "letting you make your own of it." You can interpret it any way that you choose and the author leaves it open for you to make their piece one of your own allowing you to become a part of it. You relate to it more easily since you interpret it how you want. Try using this technique of writing in your own work. Don't always spell everything out for your reader. Allow them to take from it whatever they choose. It will help them relate more personally to your work and have a better understanding of it.