Music is an EXCELLENT primary document source. I especially like pop music as a source because it is a great indicator of the mood of the general public. Much of the music of the 1980s was centered on the theme of destruction during the early Reagan era. In fact, one of the most popular music videos of the early MTV era was Nena’s 99 Luftballoons. The German song hit it big on both sides of the Atlantic in 1983. The story the song tells is of 99 balloons that are released which subsequently fly over the Berlin Wall, therefore triggering an apocalyptic overreaction by the military which results in destruction. In fact, the video itself takes place in a barren wasteland that was once Germany after the military action. Another popular song and video of the time was the Athens, Georgia band REM’s 1985 hit It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) [you can watch the video by clicking here, unfortunately YouTube would not let me embed this one]. It is quite obvious what the theme of this song is. The video is interesting as well, as we watch a young man sifting through the memories of what is left after the destruction. If you pay close attention to the lyrics (or better yet read them since the song moves so quickly), you can still feel the fear of the time. You can view the music videos of both of the songs discussed here below.Thursday, March 26, 2009
Pop Music of the Late Cold War
Music is an EXCELLENT primary document source. I especially like pop music as a source because it is a great indicator of the mood of the general public. Much of the music of the 1980s was centered on the theme of destruction during the early Reagan era. In fact, one of the most popular music videos of the early MTV era was Nena’s 99 Luftballoons. The German song hit it big on both sides of the Atlantic in 1983. The story the song tells is of 99 balloons that are released which subsequently fly over the Berlin Wall, therefore triggering an apocalyptic overreaction by the military which results in destruction. In fact, the video itself takes place in a barren wasteland that was once Germany after the military action. Another popular song and video of the time was the Athens, Georgia band REM’s 1985 hit It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) [you can watch the video by clicking here, unfortunately YouTube would not let me embed this one]. It is quite obvious what the theme of this song is. The video is interesting as well, as we watch a young man sifting through the memories of what is left after the destruction. If you pay close attention to the lyrics (or better yet read them since the song moves so quickly), you can still feel the fear of the time. You can view the music videos of both of the songs discussed here below.
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both are great songs! I never realized how they tied into the cold war tho... Very cool to see!
Well I'm glad you gave the story for the Luftballoons one, since I couldn't understand a word of it haha. But since I knew the story the parts where the video wasn't just the band were sorta sad. I mean, she's walking through a field that's now nothing but smoke and some balloons floating around.
Ah, the wonders that the 80's brought. In fact, I was already quite aware of the hidden message behind these two songs(and indeed most songs of the 80s). They both represent the apocalypse, with R.E.M.'s "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" bringing a little enjoyment to the end of our world(major props if you can sing this song in it's entirety).
In fact, all, or rather most, 80's songs conveyed a hidden message behind them, something that you have to listen carefully for or you won't find.
To Jennifer Pritt:
Look up the English track of Nena's "99 Luftballoons" on YouTube or LimeWare, or whatever you so choose. The lyrics are still a tad hard to follow, and the song isn't as catchy in English as it is in German, but you'll still get the message, hopefully.
Also, if anyone has ever seen one of Nena's live shows, despite their lead singer being rather hot, she has some wicked armpit hair. Look it up.
haha. i think i like the song It's the end of the world as we know it. more then the other one. Nena’s 99 Luftballoons was very hard to understand. the first one was hard to keep up with, so thanks for the lyrics. & i guess they both describe the war.
I've heard 99 luftballoons before!! Somewhere at some time!!! That's really weird considering I don't listen to music.
That's interesting that everyone was so scared and so convinced that this was the end but they just went on with their lives.
I think Holidays in Cambodia by Dead Kennedys is a good song for cold war policies of America,also. US did not care about the genocide just because Cambodia was Communist.. Bad choice, USA Pol Pot was a nut case.Here are the lyrics anyway for the song
So you been to school
For a year or two
And you know youve seen it all
In daddys car
Thinkin youll go far
Back east your type dont crawl
Play ethnicky jazz
To parade your snazz
On your five grand stereo
Braggin that you know
How the n+++++ feel cold
And the slums got so much soul
Its time to taste what you most fear
Right guard will not help you here
Brace yourself, my dear
Its a holiday in cambodia
Its tough, kid, but its life
Its a holiday in cambodia
Dont forget to pack a wife
Youre a star-belly sneech
You suck like a leach
You want everyone to act like you
Kiss a== while you b====
So you can get rich
But your boss gets richer off you
Well youll work harder
With a gun in your back
For a bowl of rice a day
Slave for soldiers
Till you starve
Then your head is skewered on a stake
Now you can go where people are one
Now you can go where they get things done
What you need, my son.
Is a holiday in cambodia
Where people dress in black
A holiday in cambodia
Where youll kiss ass or crack
Pol pot, pol pot, pol pot, pol pot, etc.
And its a holiday in cambodia
Where youll do what youre told
A holiday in cambodia
Where the slums got so much soul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KTsXHXMkJA&feature=related if you want to listen to it
god i love this song. Ecspecially Goldfinger's version is one of my all-time favs. It really show the true emotion of the time
that's so cool! actually 99 luftballoos is one of my favorite songs and i never had any idea what it was about! my mom and i listen to in...but i can understand the words a lil better, maybe cuz they're english? haha.
Hm its really cool to relate songs that my dad used to listen to when i was little and now see what they really are talking about =]
I wanna look up some more of my own! Haha.
haha this reminds me. i was watching 100 greatest songs of the 80s and they both were on there! they even knew it was about the destruction of the world if someone were to get trigger happy and then the whole world would go up in flames. oh and to father cheese... i know isnt the arm pit hair crazy! hahah they also commented on that on vh1. isnt this abit sad that im gettin history lessons from vh1? hahaha
wow i would have never guessed what these songs were based on. A lot of songs today as well represent todays times
I looked up the literal English translation of 99 Luftballoons and it's pretty whoa. The number 99 isn't used just to describe the air balloons that flew over the wall, but also war ministers, fighter jets, and years of war.
"99 war ministers
matches and gasoline canisters
They thought they were clever people
already smelled a nice bounty
Called for war and wanted power.
Man, who would've thought
that things would someday go so far
because of 99 balloons."
This was my favorite verse because it showed how the people were extremely oppressed and the guards and government were heartless.
I think Nena's song was a great way of showing the German view on what was going on and the mind process of other Germans. They felt it was idiotic to have a wall separating families and friends and would make such a big scene because people sought for a better life on the other side of this barrier.
R.E.M.'s song was pretty fast so thanks for the lyrics. I could kind of sense that fear they had. It showed how everything was so chaotic, especially in the very first verse "That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane..." Nothing says it's the end of the world than lies, combat, complete chaos and destruction.
I listened to the end of the world i was we know.It was a good song. I like how it is related to the cold war and symbols in it.
i actually really like this song. and this song just triggered a huge discussion with my family..
but i think its good that people managed to connect through music. music tends to be a universal way of togetherness and i like when its all about the peaceeee.
Its really cool how with out knowing i had seen nena’s 99luftballoons. that artists during this time expressed their feelings through music to show the world the horrors of the cold war. i think today more artist should write and make videos about peace and to teach meaning.
I think the song "It's the end of the world as we know it." It was talking of bombings, and the Cuban Missile Crisis and that the S.U. had our necks next to knives, and Luftballoons is just something I can't understand. I first thought the girl in the music video was talking German or Russia or some "hard sounding" language. I didn't understand a word of it.
okay 99 luftballoons is tied to the cold war, yes, but i think i like the end of the world as we know it better. Breshnev anyone? It just comes straight out and says all the things going on and then says that everythin that all young people have ever known is coming to an end- and its perfectly okay. All the oppression is being lifted, and they are actually happy for once in their life. They can move about without restrictions. Awesome song.
Wow I knew rem's song had cold war influence but not 99. Mr prill is billy Joel's song we didn't start the fire, all about the cold war?
-David recchia
i downloaded an english version of that song a few months ago, when you listen to it you can deffinately tell it has coldwar influence
WOW! I LOVE both of these songs and never had any idea that they were about the Berlin Wall!!
99 Red Balloons
"You and I and 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 lads, it's a 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, ninety-nine red balloons go by.
Ninety-nine Decision Street, ninety-nine ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry, call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we've waiting for, this is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line as ninety-nine red balloons go by.
Ninety-nine knights of the air, riding super-high-tech jet fighters.
Everyone's a super hero, everyone's a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify, to clarify and classify.
Scrambling in the summer sky, as ninety-nine red balloons go by.
Ninety-nine red balloons go by.
Ninety-nine dreams I have had, every one a red ballon.
Now it's all over and I'm standin' pretty, in this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenir, just to prove the world was here...
And here is a red balloon, I think of you and let it go."
It makes so much sense now!
This is so cool!!
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