# German translation question: 99 Luftballoons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 20, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585 "2017-03-20T02:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/21 "2017-03-20T17:35:05Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > While the German version is pretty “pop” rather than punk, the English translation is horribly cringeworthy. That’s the English _version_, not the translation. As you noted, the German lyrics were ‘heavier’. _Ninety-nine ministers of war Matches and gasoline cans They regarded themselves as clever people Already on the scent of fat booty They shouted “War” and wanted power_ That sure beats the hell out of: _99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super-scurry Call out the troops now in a hurry This is what we’ve waited for This is it, boys, this is war_ ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/22 "2017-03-20T17:46:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s the English _version_, not the translation. As you noted, the German lyrics were ‘heavier’. > > _Ninety-nine ministers of war > Matches and gasoline cans > They regarded themselves as clever people > Already on the scent of fat booty > They shouted “War” and wanted power_ > > That sure beats the hell out of: > > _99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet > To worry, worry, super-scurry > Call out the troops now in a hurry > This is what we’ve waited for > This is it, boys, this is war_ I agree. In the German: 99 Kriegsminister Streichholz und Benzinkanister It’s simple. Metaphoric. It’s poetic. It creates an image of action without verbs. “Worry worry super scurry”, on the other hand? Gah! A song for six-year-olds. I haven’t heard the English language version in like 30 years, and had to look up the EL lyrics, but I can still sing along in German, even if my ability to translate has faded over the years. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/23 "2017-03-21T01:49:44Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > Bolding mine. While the other two were clear to me, I had never made that particular connection, thanks ! Ditto! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/24 "2017-03-21T03:56:45Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > I think he was asking if luftballon implies a floating (i.e. helium filled) balloon. Or when taking about Germany, hydrogen. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/25 "2017-03-21T05:09:40Z")
Back when I first heard it I was convinced that she said “lead balloons” which I found very poetic, even if it made no sense. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/26 "2017-03-21T18:00:56Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Or when taking about Germany, hydrogen. Ach, die Menschlichkeit! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/27 "2017-03-21T18:31:22Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Ach, die Menschlichkeit! I don’t even _need_ to speak German to get this! Well Done! ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/28 "2017-03-21T19:05:57Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > Back when I first heard it I was convinced that she said “lead balloons” which I found very poetic, even if it made no sense. Can’t we have just ONE musical discussion without someone working in a Led Zepp reference? Sheesh! > [@Gatopescado](#): > > I don’t even _need_ to speak German to get this! Well Done! +1 ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/29 "2017-03-21T19:09:28Z")
Mandatory 99 Dead Baboons post. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kRpcEFJL1_8/maxresdefault.jpg "Tim Cavanagh--99 Dead Baboons") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRpcEFJL1_8) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/30 "2017-03-21T20:20:59Z")
All this time I thought Red Balloons became popular first then they decided to release the German version. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585/31 "2017-03-21T20:40:14Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > The proper question may be: does “Luft” refer to where the balloon is (“in the air”) or what’s inside the balloon (“air”). I suspect that in this case “Luft” refers to the location - so a “Luftballoon” is one of those ball-shaped items you see in the air, not one of those ball-shaped items filled with air. Luft is air in General. It does not imply Floating, because Luftballon is also what it’s called when you buy the balloons in a package, and it’s up to you how you fill them. But it refers to the balloons being filled with air, not being in the air. A Heissluftballon is a hot air balloon - that would definitly float, but without Helium. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-translation-question-99-luftballoons/782585.md?page=1)