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)
Zarah
Nina Hagen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Und dann werden tausend Märchen war.
Ich weiss, so schnell kann keine Liebe vergeh'n,
Die so gross ist und so wunderbar.
Wir haben beide den selben Stern
Und dein Schicksal ist auch meins
Du bist mir fern und doch nicht fern,
Und uns're Seelen sind eins.
Und, und, und...
Darum wird einmal ein wunder gescheh'n
Und ich weiss, dass wir uns wiederseh'n
I know that one day all my miracles come true
And the Golden Age of Love will come to you
I know that Love is meant forever to be
Love is God and it's made for me
We both share the same star and your fate is also mine
And you're far but not very far 'cause our souls are one and divine
When I would have to live without your love
When I have to think nobody cares for me, loves me
That I would have no happy destiny
Would ouch, ouch
When I would not know to give my heart
And he would say today, "Well baby I love you"
Life would make no sense
Life would make no sense for me
It's cold but I know more....
The song "Zarah" by Nina Hagen is a powerful ballad about love and destiny. The lyrics speak to the depth and permanence of true love, and the unbreakable connection that exists between two people who share the same star and fate. The song begins with a declaration that a miracle will happen someday, and that love will prevail despite any obstacle. The singer knows that love cannot fade away quickly, especially when it is as great and wonderful as the one they share.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that love is eternal and unbreakable. The singer believes that they will meet again, and that their love will survive any separation or distance. The second verse of the song speaks to the pain and loneliness that can accompany the absence of true love. Without love, life would lack meaning and purpose. But with love, the singer feels whole and complete, and knows that their destiny is to be with their beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh'n
I know that one day all my miracles come true
Und dann werden tausend Märchen war.
And the Golden Age of Love will come to you
Ich weiss, so schnell kann keine Liebe vergeh'n,
I know that Love is meant forever to be
Die so gross ist und so wunderbar.
Love is God and it's made for me
Wir haben beide den selben Stern
We both share the same star
Und dein Schicksal ist auch meins
And your fate is also mine
Du bist mir fern und doch nicht fern,
And you're far but not very far 'cause our souls are one and divine
Und uns're Seelen sind eins.
And our souls are one
Darum wird einmal ein wunder gescheh'n
That's why one day a miracle will happen
Und ich weiss, dass wir uns wiederseh'n
And I know that we will meet again
Contributed by Joseph H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brianmo7763
Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh'n
Und dann werden tausend Märchen war
Ich weiss, so schnell kann keine Liebe vergeh'n
Die so gross ist und so wunderbar
Wir haben beide den selben Stern
Und dein Schicksal ist auch meins
Du bist mir fern und doch nicht fern
Und uns're Seelen sind eins
Und, und, und...
Darum wird einmal ein wunder gescheh'n
Und ich weiss, dass wir uns wiederseh'n
I know that one day all my miracles come true
And the Golden Age of Love will come to you
I know that Love is meant forever to be
Love is God and it's made for me
We both share the same star and your fate is also mine
And you're far but not very far 'cause our souls are one and divine
When I would have to live without your love
When I have to think nobody cares for me, loves me
That I would have no happy destiny
Would ouch, ouch
When I would not know to give my heart
And he would say today, "Well baby I love you"
Life would make no sense
Life would make no sense for me
It's cold but I know more....
@OasisEnLaLunna
How can such talent and originality ooze from one person?! She is incredible, why can't there be more original artists with this much creativity, talent and passion to create and not ride coattails of what has been done?
@thepyrogamer659
This is a cover of Zarah Leander's "Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein wunder geschehen."
@mcx78
Love how this song starts out as a slow, beautiful melody then she transforms the song into the upbeat 80s techno beat, then it shifts to this strange sounds in mid song, lastly becoming a mix of opera and new wave sound at the end, just love it !!
@ToranK
Nina is a discovery for me. Did not know she had that much talent. She gets a max score from me.
@aiolosgr
Just found this video after 25 years and still remember it very well! Her operatic voice is marvelous!
@agentsteel86
Única ...muy singular,original...muchas hoy en día la han querido imitar...Nina tiene mucho talento,es mas hasta puede cantar una opera...ya no hay artistas muy completas como ella
@paulomarcioklein4982
Muito louca, muito divertida, muito inteligente, muito criativa, muito gata, muito gente fina...viva Nina!
@harrytopalian1266
Her soprano is so amazing in the finale.
@Harbinger57
Such a goddess, I've loved Nina since I first heard her in 1980. Bless you, Nina!
@brianmo7763
Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder gescheh'n
Und dann werden tausend Märchen war
Ich weiss, so schnell kann keine Liebe vergeh'n
Die so gross ist und so wunderbar
Wir haben beide den selben Stern
Und dein Schicksal ist auch meins
Du bist mir fern und doch nicht fern
Und uns're Seelen sind eins
Und, und, und...
Darum wird einmal ein wunder gescheh'n
Und ich weiss, dass wir uns wiederseh'n
I know that one day all my miracles come true
And the Golden Age of Love will come to you
I know that Love is meant forever to be
Love is God and it's made for me
We both share the same star and your fate is also mine
And you're far but not very far 'cause our souls are one and divine
When I would have to live without your love
When I have to think nobody cares for me, loves me
That I would have no happy destiny
Would ouch, ouch
When I would not know to give my heart
And he would say today, "Well baby I love you"
Life would make no sense
Life would make no sense for me
It's cold but I know more....