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)
Ich bin da gar nicht pingelig
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wenn ich dich brauche, klingeling, klingel' ich
Magst du auch in den Federn sein
Ich läute dich heraus
Dann drückst du auf den Summer
Und lässt mich rein ins Haus
Du, du teilst mit mir den Schlummer
Und allen meinen Kummer
Die Nacht kann noch so tief sein
Das Licht kann noch so schief sein
In dem ich unten steh'
Das ist mir ziemlich schnurz
Ich brauch' um dich zu wecken
Bloß den Finger auszustrecken
Einmal lang und zweimal kurz
Einmal lang und zweimal kurz
Zwischen Abendwind und Morgentau
Das ist die reine Freude
Zwischen dir und mir
So viel Dankbarkeit
Das ich nichts davon vergeude
Oh, ich bin da gar nicht pingelig
Wenn ich dich brauche, klingeling, klingel' ich
Magst du auch in den Federn sein
Ich läute dich heraus
Dann drückst du auf den Summer
Und lässt mich rein ins Haus
Du, du teilst mit mir den Schlummer
Und allen meinen Kummer
Den schlaf' ich bei dir aus
Mein Ärger kann sehr groß sein
Ich werd' ihn bald schon los sein
Der Platz dafür bist du
Der Platz dafür bist du
Du machst dich unentbehrlich
Ich glaub' du liebst mich ehrlich
Denn du hörst mir gründlich zu
Denn du hörst mir gründlich zu, huh
Zwischen Sommertag und Winternacht
Da liegt ein Stückchen Leben
Zwischen dir und mir
Was bisher nicht war
Das wird sich noch ergeben
Oh, ich bin da gar nicht pingelig
Wenn ich dich brauche, klingeling, klingel' ich
Magst du auch in den Federn sein
Ich läute dich heraus
Dann drückst du auf den Summer
Und lässt mich rein ins Haus
Du, du teilst mit mir den Schlummer
Und allen meinen Kummer
Den schlaf' ich bei dir aus
Den schlaf' ich bei dir aus
The song "Ich bin da gar nicht pingelig" by Nina Hagen is a love song that expresses the singer's deep appreciation for her lover. In the opening verse, she sings about how she isn't picky when it comes to contacting her partner, and she is willing to wake them up from their sleep by ringing the doorbell if she needs them. She doesn't care about external circumstances like the night being dark or the light being crooked, as long as she can reach her lover. The second verse describes the strong bond between the couple - the singer feels thankful to have found such a warm place in her lover's arms, where she can share her worries and sleep peacefully. She also speaks about how her lover is the perfect place for her anger, and how it vanishes in their presence.
The chorus repeats the first verse and reinforces the idea that the singer will call her lover whenever she needs them. The third verse talks about the importance of communication in their relationship. The singer believes that her partner values her opinions and listens to her deeply, which is evident in the way they understand each other. The final verse acknowledges the transient nature of life and how love is the only constant that brings meaning to it.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the singer's lover and their unbreakable connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, ich bin da gar nicht pingelig
I'm not particular about how and when I contact you
Wenn ich dich brauche, klingeling, klingel' ich
I will call you whenever I need you, without hesitation
Magst du auch in den Federn sein
It doesn't matter if you're sleeping or not
Ich läute dich heraus
I will ring your doorbell to wake you up
Dann drückst du auf den Summer
You will activate the door buzzer to let me in
Und lässt mich rein ins Haus
You will allow me to enter your house
Du, du teilst mit mir den Schlummer
You share your sleep with me
Und allen meinen Kummer
And help me to forget all my troubles
Den schlaf' ich bei dir aus
I feel better when I sleep with you
Die Nacht kann noch so tief sein
The darkness does not bother me
Das Licht kann noch so schief sein
The light might be inadequate
In dem ich unten steh'
While I'm waiting outside your house
Das ist mir ziemlich schnurz
It does not bother me at all
Ich brauch' um dich zu wecken
I just need to signal you to wake up
Bloß den Finger auszustrecken
By just extending my arm
Einmal lang und zweimal kurz
One long and two short buzzes is all I need to do
Zwischen Abendwind und Morgentau
Between evening breeze and morning dew
Das ist die reine Freude
It brings me pure joy
Zwischen dir und mir
Between you and me
So viel Dankbarkeit
I am grateful for you
Das ich nichts davon vergeude
I won't let any moment go to waste
Mein Ärger kann sehr groß sein
I can get very angry at times
Ich werd' ihn bald schon los sein
But I know you will make me feel better soon
Der Platz dafür bist du
You are the one who can ease my anger
Du machst dich unentbehrlich
You make yourself indispensable
Ich glaub' du liebst mich ehrlich
I feel that you love me truly
Denn du hörst mir gründlich zu
You listen to me carefully
Zwischen Sommertag und Winternacht
Between summer days and winter nights
Da liegt ein Stückchen Leben
There is a piece of life that we share
Was bisher nicht war
Something that has not happened before
Das wird sich noch ergeben
Will keep unfolding in the future
Den schlaf' ich bei dir aus
I prefer to sleep with you to feel better
Lyrics © Roba Music
Written by: Helmut Frommhold, Werner Mangalin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Анна Шурочкина
2:38 WTF