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Did a 1980s Band Correctly Predict a Balloon-Borne Apocalypse?
99 red balloons go by
Given all the talk of killer balloons recently, I’m shocked that we haven’t heard more about NENA.
For those who are aware, this 1980s one-hit wonder is known for their single hit, “99 Luftballons” (“99 Red Balloons” in English.)
The song is about a trigger-happy military seeing a bunch of red party balloons on its radar, freaking out, and mistakenly starting Armageddon.
Ballons, fighter jets, and talk of nuclear war? Sound familiar? Did this 1980s band correctly predict a possible route to the apocalypse?
Read on.
“This is it, boys, this is war”
“99 Red Balloons” starts off innocently enough, with two lovers purchasing red balloons at a toy shop. Romantically, they release the balloons at “the break of dawn” and watch them drift away.
As the balloons ascend in altitude, they show up on an unnamed military’s radar. “Bugs in the software” cause…
