You and I in 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, something’s out there
Floating in the summer sky
Ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine red balloons
Floating in the summer sky
Panic bells, it’s 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
As ninety-nine red balloons go by

Ninety-nine decisions treat
Ninety-nine 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
The President is on the line
As ninety-nine red balloons go by

Neunundneunzig Kriegsminister
Streichholz und Benzinkanister
Hielten sich f?r schlaue Leute
Witterten schon fette Beute
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht
Mann, wer h?tte das gedacht?
Da? es einmal so weit kommt
Wegen neunundneunzig Luftballons
Neunundneunzig Luftballons

Ninety-nine dreams I have had
And every one a red balloon
It’s all over, and I’m standing pretty
In the dust that was a city
I could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here
Here it is, a red balloon
I think of you and let it go

Went out today
to try and phone you
I guess you didn’t
recognize my call
the lady on your end
said you got caller I.D.
and I’m feeling sorry
that you’ve been
woken up so much
and I’m feeling guilty
just talk to me
please talk to me


I hardly know you
is it too late to even try
I want to know you
another twenty cent goodbye


I found a pay phone
and it’s busted
another broken hearted fool
but still I pick up the receiver
my lips are touching
someone’s drool
please make this worth it
you’re all I’m thinking of today
I know you’re worth it
just talk to me
please talk to me


goodbye
another twenty cent goodbye
another twenty cents

Once there was this girl I knew
She had all she could want
But her unhappiness
Preceded what she bought
She said, “Everyone around here
Is wasting my time”
All of her possessions
Couldn’t make her feel fine
She wants everyone to sit around
And talk about her life
Don’t ask her how she feels
‘Cos that would be a lie

Chorus:
Don’t tell me ‘cos you know
I know it hurts
Don’t tell me ‘cos you know
It’s gotten worse
Don’t tell me ‘cos you think
I don’t know shit about the way you feel
Tell me ‘cos
I don’t want you to hurt

She sat around like a vintage queen
To complain about the world
She says how she’s much better than you
She’s a special girl
She said, “Everyone around here
Is wasting my time”
All of her boyfriends
Couldn’t make her feel fine

Chorus

She said, “Everyone around here
Is wasting my time”
All of her boyfriends
Couldn’t make her feel fine

Chorus
Chorus
Chorus

i met her sunday, that was yesterday
the girl i knew from 1990
her eyes are hazel her name is mable
i kissed her once and now i’m able to
walk the mile, crack a smile
–chorus
she makes me want to kiss all the
babies, hug the puppy dogs
she makes me feel like my mom
smell the flowers and plant a tree
i gotta say that mable
she’s the bomb
now it’s monday, better than sunday
mable told me that she would stay
her curly hair shines in her eyes
boy that mable sure is fly
i’m with her now until i die
–chorus
then on tuesday mable left me
i heard she’s going out with charlie
she saw his package from what i know she said:
“that looks like a tube of cookie dough!”
mine, she said then, looks like a
small pencil with broken lead
rabies got the puppy dogs
and now i really need my mom
i bought her flowers, so woe is me
it sucks i still think mable
she’s the bomb