New Wave Outpost Forum

by **troy08** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:32 am

In light of our "Der Kommissar" discussion, does anyone have a preference to the English or German version of "99 Luftballoons"? It always amused me how people who couldn't sing a word of the German version swore allegiance to it as the better cut. Fore those of us on this side of the pond, its the same damn song, only you can sing it in English and understand the words...

by **phillyidol** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:40 am

I guess English is better because I know what she is singing. I love it when a girl speaks German but thats another topic.[:I]

by **i_like_lectric_motors** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:48 am

German version by far. It just sounds cooler.

by **skinnytie** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:05 pm

The German version was superior, by far. The only reason it was recorded in English was to sell records in America (seems Americans are adverse to buying music in any other language but English, which doesn't seem to be the case in other countries around

by **EchoBeachBunnyBoy** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:00 pm

Ich mag die Deutsche version.
[:D]

by **Jimbo** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:22 am

If you do a comparison between the two songs, the lyrics differ substantially.
I like them both! [^]
At least they managed to work in Captain Kirk into the English version. [8D]

http://www.inthe80s.com/redger3.shtml

by **British** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:54 am

Has anyone given up trying to tell people Nina Hagen was NOT the one who sung 99 Luftballoons? Get that mixed up, a true indicator you are not a sophisticated 80s musicophile.

by **troy08** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:14 am

Did Nena even have a surname? Maybe she thought she'd be destined to become a new wave Cher, Madonna, or the the female counterpart to Falco...

by **i_like_lectric_motors** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:23 am

[quote]Originally posted by troy08
[br]Did Nena even have a surname? Maybe she thought she'd be destined to become a new wave Cher,

by **Ollie Stench** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:38 am

Anyone have anything by The Stripes, Gabriel's band before Nena?

by **Grunch** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:22 am

Nena had so many excellent tracks better than 99 Luftballoons, mostly from their German releases. Some very smooth synth pop anbd ballad stuff. I never knew what she was saying, but I didn;t care, I just enjoyed the sound. Of course, her video, seeing her

by **ghosty** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 11:33 am

I liked the German version only because I enjoyed picking out the english words "Captain Kirk" when it first came out.

To my young ears, it sounded like "kfefkm fnmkf fefmie nbtgh kfnf feff feqfe CAPTAIN KIRK ffefnn jyokjk"

by **Sean** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 4:12 am

The German version is 100 times better. For some reason, the English version sounds dorky to me. That goes the same for Peter Schilling's "Major Tom".

I do like After The Fire's version of Der Kommissar though.

by **Berserker** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 6:04 am

[quote]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors
Her real first name isn't even Nena, it's Gabriele. And her last name is Kerner.<hr heigh

by **Ollie Stench** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:05 am

New Wave always sounded better sung in German. Not just Nena... Kraftwerk, Nina Hagen, etc.

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