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)
Ermutigung
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In dieser harten Zeit!
Die allzu hart sind, brechen –
Die allzu spitz sind, stechen
Und brechen ab sogleich!
Du, lass dich nicht verbittern
In dieser bittren Zeit!
Sitzt du erst hinter Gittern –
Doch nicht vor deinem Leid!
Du, lass dich nicht erschrecken
In dieser Schreckenszeit!
Das woll'n sie doch bezwecken
Dass wir die Waffen strecken
Schon vor dem großen Streit!
Du, lass dich nicht verbrauchen
Gebrauche deine Zeit!
Du kannst nicht untertauchen –
Du brauchst uns und wir brauchen
Grad deine Heiterkeit!
Wir woll'n es nicht verschweigen
In dieser Schweigezeit!
Das Grün bricht aus den Zweigen
Wir woll'n das allen zeigen –
Dann wissen sie Bescheid!
The lyrics to Nina Hagen's song "Ermutigung" speak to the prevalent need to maintain one's personal integrity during difficult times. Hagen encourages listeners not to become jaded or deterred, offering support and motivation to those who might otherwise feel that all is lost. In particular, Hagen urges listeners not to succumb to the darkness around them. She tells them that those who are too hard will break and those who are too sharp will quickly dull. She also encourages them to find hope and to not be afraid of the future, as those who currently hold power will eventually falter.
Hagen reminds her listeners that they are not alone. She tells them to maintain their individuality and not to feel overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding them. The final verse of the song offers a glimmer of hope, encouraging listeners to show the beauty of the world and ultimately defeat darkness. Through these lyrics, Hagen urges listeners to maintain their faith, to not be intimidated, and to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Du, lass dich nicht verhärten
My friend, don't become hardened and embittered by the difficulties of these times.
In dieser harten Zeit!
We're living in painful times.
Die allzu hart sind, brechen –
Those who are too hard emotionally will eventually break.
Die allzu spitz sind, stechen
Those who are too sharp and pointed in their ways will break easily.
Und brechen ab sogleich!
They'll break straightaway.
Du, lass dich nicht verbittern
My friend, don't let bitterness take over your heart.
In dieser bittren Zeit!
It's a time of bitterness and hardship.
Die Herrschenden erzittern –
The powerful are afraid.
Sitzt du erst hinter Gittern –
But if you are imprisoned,
Doch nicht vor deinem Leid!
Don't let them see you suffer.
Du, lass dich nicht erschrecken
Don't be afraid, my friend.
In dieser Schreckenszeit!
Despite these terrifying times.
Das woll'n sie doch bezwecken
Their goal is to make us surrender.
Dass wir die Waffen strecken
They want us to put down our guard
Schon vor dem großen Streit!
Before the real battle even begins.
Du, lass dich nicht verbrauchen
Don't let yourself be used up.
Gebrauche deine Zeit!
Spend your precious time doing what's important to you.
Du kannst nicht untertauchen –
You cannot disappear or lose yourself in these times.
Du brauchst uns und wir brauchen
We need you, as much as you need us.
Grad deine Heiterkeit!
Most of all, we need your optimistic spirit to keep us going.
Wir woll'n es nicht verschweigen
We don't want to keep quiet about it.
In dieser Schweigezeit!
In a time where so many are silenced.
Das Grün bricht aus den Zweigen
The green of new life is starting to appear.
Wir woll'n das allen zeigen –
We want to show this to everyone
Dann wissen sie Bescheid!
So that they can know it too.
Contributed by Kayla G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Julio Maia
Sehr Gut!