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)
Gott im Himmel
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
dann holt mich mein total geliebter Schutzengel ab
beim schönsten Sterbeglockengebimmel
heb ich ab und flieg zu Gott in den Himmel
flieg ich los und ab zu Gott in den Himmel
ich höre noch das Sterbeglockengebimmel.
Wenn ich sterbe und man legt mich ins Grab
dann flieg ich los und fahre richtig und total drauf ab!
Bereite Dich vor denn jeder schießt mal sein Tor.
Wir alle müßen mal verreisen, nur daß Du es weißt.
Hey, der Typ der Jesus heisst, der wartet dann auf Dich
und er hilft Dir sicherlich
Und Gott weis bescheid und wir werden befreit,
mein Guru-Rastabasta-Medizinmann.
Halt Dich bereit für die neue Zeit,
von Gesicht zu Gesicht beim jüngsten Gericht.
Ich hab mich schrecklich blamiert,
aber jetzt hab' ichs kapiert:
Oh, Gott im Himmel, ist das ein Leben!
Ich kann mich schon freun,
ich werde so sein wie Jesus und wie Gott,
so richtig chick und flott.
Ich kann mich schon freun,
ich brauche gar nichts bereun
denn meine Sünden sind vergeben.
Ich steig voll drauf ein,
bald werd ich bei ihnen sein,
bei Jesus und bei Gott,
so richtig chick und flott,
bei Jesus und bei Gott,
so richtig Hüh und Hott.
The lyrics of Nina Hagen's Gott im Himmel talks about death, the afterlife, and the singer's faith in God and Jesus. The song begins with the singer stating that when they die, their beloved guardian angel will pick them up from their grave amidst the sound of funeral bells. They will then ascend to heaven, where they will be with God. The singer expresses their enthusiasm for the afterlife, saying that they are excited to be with Jesus and God and that they have nothing to regret or repent because their sins are already forgiven.
The second verse is a call to prepare for the afterlife because everyone will eventually die and face judgment. The singer reassures the listener that Jesus will be waiting for them and will help them. They believe that God is aware of their actions and that they will be liberated from worldly troubles in the new era with the guru, Rastabasta-Medizinmann.
In the final verse of the song, the singer expresses their realization of how extraordinary life is and how they are eager to be with Jesus and God. They state that they have been forgiven for their sins and are thrilled to be with Jesus and God in their chic and trendy clothes. The chorus repeats the singer's anticipation of being with Jesus and God.
Line by Line Meaning
Wenn ich sterbe und man legt mich ins Grab
In the event of my death and I am laid to rest in the ground
dann holt mich mein total geliebter Schutzengel ab
my beloved guardian angel will come and take me
beim schönsten Sterbeglockengebimmel
amidst the beautiful sound of funeral bells
heb ich ab und flieg zu Gott in den Himmel
I will ascend and fly to Heaven to be with God
flieg ich los und ab zu Gott in den Himmel
I fly towards God in Heaven
ich höre noch das Sterbeglockengebimmel.
I can still hear the sound of the funeral bells.
Wenn ich sterbe und man legt mich ins Grab
In the event of my death and I am laid to rest in the ground
dann flieg ich los und fahre richtig und total drauf ab!
I will fly and be ecstatic about it!
Bereite Dich vor denn jeder schießt mal sein Tor.
Prepare yourself, as everyone will score a goal someday.
Wir alle müßen mal verreisen, nur daß Du es weißt.
We all must travel one day, just so you know.
Hey, der Typ der Jesus heisst, der wartet dann auf Dich
Hey, the guy named Jesus will be waiting for you
und er hilft Dir sicherlich
and he will surely help you
Und Gott weis bescheid und wir werden befreit,
And God knows what's up, and we will be liberated
mein Guru-Rastabasta-Medizinmann.
my Rastafarian medicine man guru
Halt Dich bereit für die neue Zeit,
Get ready for the new era
von Gesicht zu Gesicht beim jüngsten Gericht.
Face to face at the Last Judgment.
Ich hab mich schrecklich blamiert,
I have embarrassed myself terribly,
aber jetzt hab' ichs kapiert:
but now I understand:
Oh, Gott im Himmel, ist das ein Leben!
Oh, God in Heaven, what a life it is!
Ich kann mich schon freun,
I can already be happy
ich werde so sein wie Jesus und wie Gott,
I will be like Jesus and God,
so richtig chick und flott.
looking cool and stylish.
Ich kann mich schon freun,
I can already be happy
ich brauche gar nichts bereun
I don't need to regret anything
denn meine Sünden sind vergeben.
because my sins are forgiven.
Ich steig voll drauf ein,
I am fully committed to it,
bald werd ich bei ihnen sein,
soon I will be with them,
bei Jesus und bei Gott,
with Jesus and God,
so richtig chick und flott,
looking cool and stylish,
bei Jesus und bei Gott,
with Jesus and God,
so richtig Hüh und Hott.
just like that.
Contributed by Landon T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marco Oliveira
❤❤❤❤❤
braudabo
Einer der (nicht wenigen) Tiefpunkte der Hagen-Discographie. Was für ein Schrott-Cover eines ohnehin kaum mittelmäßigen Songs, mit fast unerträglichem "Gott-Babble".