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)
The Art
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of splitting apart
I always thought
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We were too smart
For not being able
To stop giving and receiving
But my name's Unable
You came into my life
Dependent on me
But it cuts like a knife
For you're abandoning me
I thought you were not afraid
To show me your loving day
Now it's too late
And this is my fate
You still belong
To the great great holy world
To still be able
To live your fun
But being afraid of me
Is what you made of me
If you could only see
Who I wanna be
Now you're my nightmare
And you don't even care
In Nina Hagen's song "The Art," she poetically portrays the pain and distress of a relationship coming to an end. The song opens with the verse "This is the art of splitting apart." Here, she conveys her understanding that breaking up is an art of its own, a complex process that requires a unique set of skills. She then goes on to express her disappointment, explaining that she believed they were too intelligent not to be able to fix their issues. However, the singer's name is "Unable," and she suggests that she is powerless to change the outcome of the relationship. In that regard, the name "Unable" represents an admission of defeat. However, the use of "unable" in the song is a play on words, as it sounds like "un-able," thus evoking feelings of frustration and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the art
The act of breaking up is the art that is going to be discussed in the song.
Of splitting apart
The art that is going to be discussed is the art of breaking up or separating.
I always thought
The singer believed or had an opinion about something before the relationship ended.
Yeah, yeah, yeah
A phrase used to show agreement, confirmation or excitement.
We were too smart
They thought they were too clever or intelligent to get themselves into a messy break up.
For not being able
They were not capable of doing something.
To stop giving and receiving
They were unable to stop exchanging or sharing things with one another.
But my name's Unable
The singer uses word play as Unable sounds like a name, which links to the previous comment about not being able to stop giving and receiving.
And I'm unable to be grieving
The singer is possibly trying to communicate that they are not in a grieving mood or simply that they are not bothered by the break-up.
You came into my life
This is a reference to the other party who came into the life of the singer after they met.
Dependent on me
The other party was dependent on the singer for something.
But it cuts like a knife
This refers to the hurt the artist experienced after being left by the other party.
For you're abandoning me
The other party leaves the singer, which could potentially cause the pain described in the previous line.
I thought you were not afraid
The singer believed the other party was some form of courageous and did not feel fear about the relationship.
To show me your loving day
The singer expected the other party to be open with their affection which the singer refers to as their loving day.
Now it's too late
The relationship has reached a point of no return.
And this is my fate
The artist has to deal with the consequences of the break up by themselves.
You still belong
The other party still has a place or a position in the grand scheme of things.
To the great great holy world
The other party seemingly still values the big picture or the spiritual world, despite the way things have turned out between them and the singer.
To still be able
The other party still possesses the capability or ability to do something.
To live your fun
The other party lives a life of fun or enjoyment.
But being afraid of me
The artist believes the other party is avoiding them because they are afraid or scared of the artist.
Is what you made of me
The other party has created a situation where the singer is seen as someone to be avoided.
If you could only see
The artist wishes the other party was able to see a different perspective, possibly through the artist's eyes.
Who I wanna be
The singer is hinting at who they want to be, possibly indicating a solution to the breakup or how they wish the other party would see them.
Now you're my nightmare
The other party has become like a nightmare or someone who is difficult to forget.
And you don't even care
The singer believes the other party has no concern or feelings for the way they left things between them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ronaldmale8791
it's an album full of gems but this song lives in my heart most ....
@ronaldmale8791
My name is not Mable ... yeah
@cripta85
I love this song. Bee Happy is a masterpiece.
@ronaldmale8791
yes!
@henryjesusmedranovillanuev3577
GOOD, GOOD, BABY, 🖤🖤🖤
@musikkunstetc.8465
Thanks for this wonderful video compilation!
@jones9221
I saw Nina Hagen at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, CA. Literally, one of the best live shows I've ever seen. She's amazing live. At the beginning she was at the top of what looked like a rickety staircase. Something, Dali would have made. She stood still through the entire song singing an Aria. Her wig, make up, dress and nails glowed in the dark black lights through the entire first song. Amazing!!! There was a UFO that came down and flew over her head. #amazing
@wildechild5
What year did you see her in?
@jones9221
Nina Hagen in EKASTY Tour 86 or 87.
@wildechild5
@@jones9221 thank you 💜