"Everyone Thought They Were Captain Kirk"

This is a line in a popular song during the "what if MADD doesn't work" years, "99 Red Balloons" ("99 Luftballoons" in the original German) that I don't think gets translated right into the English version.






Lyrics, translated into English by Kelly Ivanovna:



If you have some time for me
I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons on their way to the horizon
If you think sometimes about me
I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
And what can come from something like that

99 balloons
Hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All
Someone thought they all were UFOs
And sent that to a general
To give out an alarm to the flight corps
When on the horizon there were only
99 balloons

99 jetfighter pilots
Each one was a great warrior
Each thought himself Captain Kirk
There were great fireworks
Neighboring countries were caught off guard
They felt justified
At shooting at the horizon
At 99 ballons

99 war ministers: matches and gas canisters
They thought they were brave people
They smelled fattened prey coming near
And shouted to triumph and to keep power.
Man, who would have thought
That so much could have happened because of
99 balloons

99 years of war
Leave no place for winners
There are no war ministers.
Nor are their jetfighter pilots.
Today I'm walking around my place,
I see the world lying in ruins.
I've found a balloon;
I think of you and let it go.