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)
Höllenzug
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sie haben dich vergiftet, jetzt bist du abgedriftet
Nehm nicht den Zug der zur Hölle fährt
Der Höllenzug, der niemals umkehrt
Verseuch dich nicht mit Pharmazie
Versuch's mal mit Natur -notier!
Denn alles was du bist, ist krank, am Tropf und Trist
Denn alles was du bist, auf deine eigene Weise
Dank dem Doktor fuer die Frist vor der grossen Reise
Sie haben dich verloren, haben dich verloren, om mani padme hum di, oh mane padme hum di
Die älteste Beschwerde ist Sy-sy-syphilia, Die geile Hammelherde, die rammelt auch noch Pferde
Nehm nicht den Zug der zur Hölle fährt
Der Höllenzug, der niemals umkehrt
Verseuch dich nicht mit Doktor's Pillen
Die killen erst dich, dann die Bazillen
Denn alles was du bist, wenn du dich hier verpisst
Ist ?????? sein, bestätigt auf dem Totenschein
Denn alles was du bist, mit deiner ganzen Pleite
Man hat dich nicht vemisst, du kleiner Ateist
Po-po-pornographia, ist doch was für dich ????
Erst öffentliche Spritzen, für euer plaisir
Nehm nicht den Zug der zur Hölle fährt
Der Höllenzug, der niemals umkehrt
Versuch dich nicht mit Pharmazie
Versuch's mal mit Natur -notier!
Denn alles was du bist, ist krank, am Tropf und Trist
Dank deinem Doktor Heiss, jetzt zahlst du deinen Preis
Denn alles was du bist, auf deine eigene Weise
Dank dem Doktor fuer die Frist vor der grossen Reise
Denn alles was du bist, wenn du dich hier verpisst
Ist ?????? sein, bestätigt auf dem Totenschein
Denn alles was du bist, mit deiner ganzen Pleite
Man hat dich nicht vemisst, du kleiner Oportunist
Mögen alle Lebewesen Befreiung erlangen
The first verse of "Höllenzug" by Nina Hagen presents a critique of Western medicine and its toxic effects on the body. The lyrics suggest that the medical establishment's reliance on pharmaceuticals has led to a generation of sick and disconnected people who have "drifted" away from their natural, healthy state. The second verse warns against taking the "train to hell" by continuing to resort to chemical treatments and encourages people to turn towards natural remedies instead. The line "the doctor's pills will kill you and then the germs" suggests that pharmaceuticals can have dangerous side effects and weaken the body's immune system, leaving it more vulnerable to disease. The chorus repeats the message that turning to natural remedies is the way to avoid a hellish fate and find true healing.
The song also touches on themes of sexual liberation, criticizing societal taboos around pornography and sex work. However, the overall message of the song seems to be one of spiritual and physical health and a rejection of Western societal norms and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Du bist jung und schon krank, der Schulmedizin sei dank
You're young yet so ill, all thanks to allopathy
Sie haben dich vergiftet, jetzt bist du abgedriftet
They've poisoned you, now you're adrift
Nehm nicht den Zug der zur Hölle fährt
Don't board the train to hell
Der Höllenzug, der niemals umkehrt
The hellbound one that never returns
Verseuch dich nicht mit Pharmazie
Don't infect yourself with chemistry
Versuch's mal mit Natur -notier!
Try the natural route - take note!
Denn alles was du bist, ist krank, am Tropf und Trist
For all that you are, you're ill, on the drip and in despair
Dank deinem Doktor Heiss, jetzt zahlst du deinen Preis
Thanks to Dr. Heiss, now you're paying the price
Denn alles was du bist, auf deine eigene Weise
For all that you are, in your own way
Dank dem Doktor fuer die Frist vor der grossen Reise
Thanks to the doctor for the reprieve before the big journey
Sie haben dich verloren, haben dich verloren, om mani padme hum di, oh mane padme hum di
They've lost you, om mani padme hum di, oh mane padme hum di
Die älteste Beschwerde ist Sy-sy-syphilia, Die geile Hammelherde, die rammelt auch noch Pferde
The oldest complaint is sy-sy-syphilis, the horny flock of sheep that even mates with horses
Verseuch dich nicht mit Doktor's Pillen
Don't infect yourself with the doctor's pills
Die killen erst dich, dann die Bazillen
They kill you first, then the germs
Denn alles was du bist, wenn du dich hier verpisst
For all that you are, if you piss off from here
Ist ?????? sein, bestätigt auf dem Totenschein
Is to be nothingness, confirmed on the death certificate
Denn alles was du bist, mit deiner ganzen Pleite
For all that you are, with your whole bankruptcy
Man hat dich nicht vemisst, du kleiner Ateist
You weren't missed, little atheist
Po-po-pornographia, ist doch was für dich ????
P-p-pornography, isn't that for you?
Erst öffentliche Spritzen, für euer plaisir
First public injections, for your pleasure
Denn alles was du bist, wenn du dich hier verpisst
For all that you are, if you piss off from here
Man hat dich nicht vemisst, du kleiner Oportunist
You weren't missed, little opportunist
Mögen alle Lebewesen Befreiung erlangen
May all living beings attain liberation
Contributed by Aaliyah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nina Hagen
don`t ride that train!
immagina
Nina for the holy Präsident..!!!!!
Frank Tetz
Sehr schön !
aber man versteht leider streckenweise den Text gar nicht.☹️
Kannst du den bitte mal reinstellen den Text ...
wo sind übrigens die 20 Kommentare die hier stehen sollen ?
immagina
Musste öfter hören,dann verstehst du schon....!)lg