If ya got some time fer me
Then a'll sing ya a song
'Bout 99 balloons
On'er way tuh the horizon
If maybe yer thinkin' of me right now
Then I'll sing ya a song
'Bout ninety-nine balloons
An' how somethin' like this came from somethin' like that1
Ninety-nine balloons
On'er way tuh the horizon
They thought they were UFO's from outer space!
That's why a general sent
A fighter squadron after'em
To raise the alarm, in case that's what it really was
But ova thea by the horizon
Was just 99 balloons
99 fighter-jets
Every pilot was a great warrior
They all thought they were Captain Kirk
And so there was a big firework
But the people on the ground didn't understand
Right from the start they thought they were lookin' for trouble 2
But they all they were doin' was
shootin' at 99 balloons by the horizon
99 ministers a' war,
matches, an' gas cannisters
They all thought they were really smart
Already smellin' a fat prize
Called for war and wanted power
Man, who would'a' thought,
That it would ever come so far
'Cause of 99 balloons?
'Cause of 99 balloons
99 balloons!
99 years a' war
didn't leave any spot for a winner
Minsters of war, there ain't no more
And no fighter-jets either
Today, I'm going around, doin' my rounds
I see the world lyin' in rubble
I found a balloon
I think of you and let it fly.
1. to spoil the ending, "something like this"- the world being in shambles; "something like that"-the balloons.2. (Cf. Hansi K_Lauer's comment below) In this particular context "anmachen" means, roughly, to provoke, to start trouble.