From 1972 to 1973, Hagen enrolled in the crash-course performance program at The Central Studio for Light Music in East Berlin. Upon graduation, she joined the band Automobil (picture), which released a well-received album in Germany, including her first hit "Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen" in 1974.
After a concert for a West German labour union in 1976 her stepfather, Wolf Biermann, was forbidden to return to the GDR. Because of their protests against it her mother, Eva-Maria Hagen and Nina were thrown out of GDR in 1977, and followed Biermann to his hometown Hamburg.
Nina subsequently met West-Berlin photographer Jim Rakete (who also produced some bands he shot the cover-photos for - like "Nena" some years later). He brought Nina together with the politically left-wing band "Lokomotive Kreuzberg" (later known as "Spliff"): thus the "Nina Hagen Band" was born.
In 1978 The Nina Hagen Band released their self-titled debut album, which included titles like "TV-Glotzer" (a cover of "White Punks on Dope" by The Tubes) and "Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo".
According to reviewer Fritz Rumler, she thrusts herself into the music, aggressively, directly, furiously, roars in the most beautiful operatic alto, then, through shrieks and squeals, precipitates herself into luminous soprano heights... she parodies, satirises, and howls on stage like a dervish.
Nina Hagen's eccentricity led to big disputes in the band and during a subsequent European tour Hagen decided to leave the band, though she was still under contract to produce a second album in 1979. This LP, Unbehagen (in addition to the obvious pun on her name, in German this also means 'discomfort' or 'unease'), was eventually produced with the band recording their tracks in Berlin and Hagen recording the vocals in Los Angeles, California. It included the single "African Reggae"/"Wir leben immer... noch" (a cover of Lene Lovich's "Lucky Number"). The headless Nina Hagen Band soon developed a successful independent musical career as Spliff.
Meanwhile, Hagen's public persona was steadily creating an increasing media uproar and she became infamous for an appearance on an Austrian talk show called Club 2, in which she performed an explicit simulation of masturbation. She also acted with Dutch sex-drugs-and-rock-'n'-roll legend Herman Brood in the movie Cha Cha, along with Lene Lovich and various Dutch bands.
An European tour with a new band in 1980 was cancelled, she had a love affair with a 16 year old punk from Amsterdam called Noddy (www.noddyriot.co.uk) and sang a RHCP rapduet with him at the OneWorldPoetry festival at the MilkyWay and lived with him in New York and in the Bahamas.
In 1982 her first solo album NunSexMonkRock, a dissonant mix of punk, funk and opera, was a minor hit, and led to a world tour with the No Problem Orchestra.
In 1983 came the album Angstlos and a minor European tour. By this time, Hagen's public appearances were becoming even stranger; over the years they frequently included discussions of God, UFOs, her social and political beliefs, animal rights / vivisection and claims of alien sightings. The English version of Angstlos, 'Fearless', generated two major club hits in America , "Zarah" and the disco/punk/opera classic, "New York New York".
1985's 'Nina Hagen In Ekstasy' fared less well, but it did generate club hits with "Universal Radio" and a cover of "Spirit In The Sky", and it also featured her hardcore punk take on Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which had been one of her signature live tunes in previous years. Her contract with CBS over, she released the Punk Wedding EP independently in 1987, a celebration of her marriage to an 18-year old punk. It followed an independent 1986 one-off single with Lene Lovich, the anthemic "Don't Kill The Animals".
In 1989 Hagen released the album Nina Hagen which was backed up by another German tour. Now living in Paris with her daughter Cosma Shiva, in 1991 she toured Europe in support of her new album Street.
In 1992 Hagen became the host of a TV show on RTLplus. The following year she released Revolution Ballroom and two years later the German-language album Freud Euch appeared, recorded in English as Beehappy in 1996. Also in 1996, Hagen collaborated with electronic music composer Christopher Franke on "Alchemy of Love", the theme song for the Tenchi Universe movie Tenchi Muyo! in Love.
In 1998, Hagen became the host of a weekly science fiction show on the British Sci-Fi-Channel, in addition to embarking on another tour of Germany. In 1999, she released the devotional album Om Namah Shivay, which was distributed exclusively online. She also sang "Witness" on KMFDM's Adios.
Nina has a strong interest in various religions, but that is mainly driven by her urge to build a better world and her own colorful freedom within it.
In 2000, her song Schön ist die Welt became the official song of Expo 2000. The album The Return of the Mother was released in February 2001, accompanied by another German tour.
Hagen dubbed the voice of Sally in the German release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and she also did some voice work in Hot Dogs by Michael Schoemann.
Hagen has been featured on many songs by other bands, for instance Oomph!'s song Fieber, a cover of Rammstein's "Seemann" with Apocalyptica and in 2008 appeared readily on psy-trance act S.U.N. Project's X Black Album, most notably on the fully vocal track We're In Space. She also sang the song "Garota de Berlim" with Brazilian singer Supla in her early years.
Her two children are Cosma Shiva and Otis.
URLs:
BEST archive for Nina Hagen pictures and stuff (regrettably just in German), incl. very old GDR pics like a beautiful one at the age of 18 and one shot by the "Stasi" (together with her stepfather Wolf Biermann - wiki)
Dope Sucks
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't want to put on a narcotic revolution
Don't want to push it on a dead end street
I hate to see you running round in circles
Don't want to catch you with a piece of concrete
We're working down and nasty
You better do it from the heart
And don't you do it from the head
You better do it from the heart
I hate to see you fade away in a Heartbreak Hotel room
I don't like to see you running hot like a disease in the doom
We search for an honest answer
See what you honestly feel
You better do it from the heart
And don't you do it from the head
You better do it from the heart
Dope Sucks! [Repeat x3]
Just say no
I don't want to be your friendly
Cause your words are sweet as honey
I don't want your so-called smile
Cause your mind is on my money
I don't want you to stare and shoot
Who's got the pointiest shoes?
I just want to crank you up some more
Just want to turn you loose
Don't want to put on a narcotic revolution
Don't want to push it on a dead end street
I hate to see you running round in circles
Don't want to catch you with a piece of concrete
We're working down and nasty
Get down to what you honestly feel
You better do it from the heart
And don't you do it from the head
You better do it from the heart
Dope Sucks! [Repeat x7]
Just say no
Nina Hagen's song "Dope Sucks" is a song that speaks against drug use and its harmful effects on the user's life. The song is essentially a call for people to make better choices and avoid falling into the trap of drug addiction. In the lyrics, Hagen sings about her distaste for the idea of revolution based on drug use, and she opposes the idea of pushing people onto a dead-end street. Hagen then goes on to sing about the idea of people who run in circles, which is a direct reference to the cycle of addiction that many drug users find themselves in. She urges the listener to work from their heart and not to make decisions based on the head, as this will lead to better decisions.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "Dope Sucks" eight times, reinforcing the message that drug use is harmful, and it's not worth it. Hagen goes on to sing about drug dealers who use deceitful tactics to manipulate people into using drugs. She also speaks about the idea of chasing after money and material possessions and how that leads to drug use. The song ultimately ends with the call to action to say "No" to drugs and make better choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Dope sucks! [Repeat x8]
The artist expresses strong opposition to drug use.
Don't want to put on a narcotic revolution
The artist opposes the idea of promoting drug use as a societal movement.
Don't want to push it on a dead end street
The artist believes that drug use leads to a life of despair and futility.
I hate to see you running round in circles
The artist dislikes the aimless and repetitive behavior that accompanies drug addiction.
Don't want to catch you with a piece of concrete
The artist expresses concern about the dangerous and violent behavior that can arise from drug use.
We're working down and nasty
The artist is committed to addressing this issue in a frank and direct manner.
Down to what you honestly feel
The artist believes that individuals should rely on their own emotions and not drugs to cope with life.
You better do it from the heart
The artist encourages people to follow their own intuition, not the influence of drugs.
And don't you do it from the head
The artist warns against intellectualizing drug use and the dangers it can bring.
I hate to see you fade away in a Heartbreak Hotel room
The artist laments the tragic outcomes of drug addiction, such as overdose, hospitalization or even death.
I don't like to see you running hot like a disease in the doom
The artist views drug use as a contagious and destructive force.
We search for an honest answer
The artist seeks truthful solutions to the problem of drug addiction.
See what you honestly feel
The artist believes that by looking into themselves, individuals can find the answers they need to overcome drug addiction.
Just say no
The artist supports the anti-drug movement's slogan, promoting a stance of abstaining from drug use.
I don't want to be your friendly
The artist does not want to be friends with someone who has problems with drugs.
Cause your words are sweet as honey
The artist recognizes that some people who use drugs can be charming and persuasive.
I don't want your so-called smile
The artist does not accept empty or insincere gestures of affection from drug users.
Cause your mind is on my money
The artist acknowledges that drug users can be manipulative and often use others for their personal gain.
I don't want you to stare and shoot
The artist is wary of the unpredictable and violent behavior that can result from drug-induced paranoia.
Who's got the pointiest shoes?
The artist is sarcastic, mocking the absurdity of the drug culture.
I just want to crank you up some more
The artist ironically plays along with the illusion that drug use can enhance one's experiences.
Dope Sucks! [Repeat x7]
The artist reiterates the message that drugs are harmful, dangerous and without real benefits.
Lyrics © AUSTINTATIOUS TUNES
Written by: BROOD LADEMACHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hannasolo2294
I love this song 😘
@TheNic70
BEST!