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)
Riesenschritt
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
und trauer hat jetzt dein herz erkoren
doch ich will's nochmal erobern
erinner dich an das gefuehl als kind
als wir von der sonne geweckt worden sind
es ist hoechste zeit, dass wir das wieder fuehl'n
do gibt es ueberhaupt kein einziges proent
jeder tag ist buss--und bet--und totensonntag und verzeih'n
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinder dir
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinter dir
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
du siehst mich an und glaubst es nicht,
du sagst fuer dich und mich gibt's kein gruenes licht,
doch ich schwor's dir, ich tu' dir nich' weh
sitz nicht so allein in deinem zimmer rum,
ich weiss, sie wurmt dich so dumm die erinnerung
mensch da musst einfach wieder raus
kommt mit mir, ich zeig es dir
wie wir zusammen gehn
und jeder tag is'n riesenwunder
das wirst du noch sehn
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinder dir
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinter dir
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
These lyrics from Nina Hagen's song "Riesenschritt" speak of a person who has lost love and is now in a state of mourning, but the singer wants to help them overcome their sadness by reminding them of the joy they felt as a child. The lyrics are an invitation to leave the past behind and take a "giant step" forward into a new and hopeful future. The singer believes that there's no point in dwelling on the past, and that every day is a new opportunity for forgiveness and redemption.
The chorus of the song repeats the invitation to leave the past behind and take a giant step into the future, suggesting that a new relationship or connection could be the key to overcoming past pain. The verses describe the pain of the past but also offer hope for the future, as the singer encourages the listener to let go of regret and embrace the present. Overall, "Riesenschritt" is a song about the power of moving forward and learning from past experiences in order to find happiness and fulfillment in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
du hast mit der liebe gespielt und sie verloren
You played with love and lost it
und trauer hat jetzt dein herz erkoren
And now your heart is chosen by grief
doch ich will's nochmal erobern
But I want to conquer it again
erinner dich an das gefuehl als kind
Remember the feeling when you were a child
als wir von der sonne geweckt worden sind
When we were awakened by the sun
es ist hoechste zeit, dass wir das wieder fuehl'n
It is high time that we feel it again
do gibt es ueberhaupt kein einziges proent
There is not a single percent
fuer den, der der vergangenheit nachrennt
For the one who chases the past
jeder tag ist buss--und bet--und totensonntag und verzeih'n
Every day is a day of repentance and forgiveness
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinder dir
Come with me, leave the past behind
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
And take a giant step and go to bed with me
du siehst mich an und glaubst es nicht,
You look at me and don't believe it
du sagst fuer dich und mich gibt's kein gruenes licht,
You say there's no green light for you and me
doch ich schwor's dir, ich tu' dir nich' weh
But I swear, I won't hurt you
sitz nicht so allein in deinem zimmer rum,
Don't sit alone in your room like that
ich weiss, sie wurmt dich so dumm die erinnerung
I know the memory bothers you so much
mensch da musst einfach wieder raus
Man, you just have to get out of there again
kommt mit mir, ich zeig es dir
Come with me, I'll show you
wie wir zusammen gehn
How we go together
und jeder tag is'n riesenwunder
And every day is a great wonder
das wirst du noch sehn
You'll see that
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinder dir
Come with me, leave the past behind
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
And take a giant step and go to bed with me
komm mit mir, lass die vergangenheit hinter dir
Come with me, leave the past behind
und mach 'n riesenschritt und geh ins bett mit mir
And take a giant step and go to bed with me
Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dimiter Todorov
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