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)
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The lyrics to Nina Hagen's version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow are about a place where dreams come true and troubles disappear. The idea of this place stems from the original song featured in the Wizard of Oz, where the main character Dorothy is searching for a way back home. In Hagen's interpretation, the song reflects the universal desire to find a safe haven, where we can escape the troubles and harsh realities of life. The phrase "Somewhere over the rainbow" is used as a metaphor for this place, inviting the listener to imagine a world beyond the limitations of the everyday life and into a more vibrant and magical existence.
The second verse continues the theme of escapism looking at the concept of wishing upon a star to be transported away from one's difficulties. In this verse, the vision of a safe haven is more particular to the singer's imagination, with an idealized version of a cityscape where life moves at a more leisurely pace. The references to "lemon drops" and "chimney tops" illustrate the carefree nature of the singer's idealized world, where everything seems sweet and laidback. Hagen's voice creates a dreamy atmosphere as she sings, and the song encourages us to hold on to the hope of finding a better, happier world where our dreams will come true.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow
There is a place in the world far away from here.
Way up high
It is elevated, high in the sky.
There's a land that I heard of
I have heard of a place in my dreams.
Once in a lullaby.
It feels like a dream that I have had before.
Skies are blue,
The sky is a bright blue color.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Anything that you can imagine can come true in this magical place.
Really do come true.
Your wildest dreams can become a reality in this world.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
I know that I will make it to this magical place one day, so I am making a wish upon a star to help me get there.
And wake up where the clouds are far
This magical place is so high up that it is above the clouds and you can see them in the distance.
Behind me.
All of my troubles and worries will be left behind in the real world.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
This place is so magical that all of your worries and problems disappear like they are melting into thin air.
Away above the chimney tops
It is so high up that it is above the tallest buildings and homes.
That's where you'll find me.
Once I find my way to this magical place, I will never want to leave.
Somewhere over the rainbow
This magical place still exists, even if we can't physically see it.
Bluebirds fly.
In this magical place, even the birds are a brighter blue color.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
The birds are able to fly over the magical place because it is so high up in the sky.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If birds can fly over this magical place, then why can't I find a way to get there?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Even the smallest and happiest creatures are able to find their way to this magical place.
Beyond the rainbow
It is possible to go beyond what we can see and find amazing things.
Why, oh why can't I?
I want to find my way to this magical place too, so why can't I make it happen?
Contributed by Reagan I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
GC-051 Ricardo
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
R Hughes
The tragic thing here is that most people just don't, won't or can't get what an amazing talent she is. She should be revered; one of the true greats.
juliet
ppl are deaf blind angels see hear nina
Adam Zapple
She is one of the true greats. If people don't recognise it, it's their loss.
taylor joseph
truer words never spoken.
croc glox
I revere her.
Philippe 6
The true humanity knows there's angels. Judy and Nina.🥰
Dan S.
75% tribute, 25% satire, 100% originality and talent.
Legion Ivory
Her dynamics are fucking amazing.
She can shift her voice to virtually any timbre. It's wondrous to behold.
Pepto Abysmal
I know! I wish I could sing like her.
Lysa Renee P.
When I got to meet her, I told her she was the 8th Wonder of the World!