NINA HAGEN - LETTERMAN INTERVIEW 1985

[@kaaosaf]

Letterman, faced with one of the greatest talents of the era, wastes time asking her about her hair.

[@DrZaius75]

Harvey Pekar said that the worst thing about Letterman was that he was intelligent, but he always talked down to his audience.

[@MakeSomeNoiseAgencyPlaylists]

because of capitalism 😂

[@vagabondxbbe]

exactly...

[@johnnyssik]

He's pretty square. A real L7

[@drbruegel]

Yes. An asshole like all the ones from the mainstream media. Poor Nina, having to put up with this kind of emptyness

[@McDougal_]

I feel like he's patronizing her the entire time, yet she's such a sweetheart

[@BiffChunksteak]

Thus disabling the attempt at patronizing.

[@TheWorld_2099]

He's just painfully superficial, unable to honor her brilliance. He failed at this one.

[@DIYTFY]

Letterman is a genius. That’s kinda what he did. Letterman rules!

[@TheWorld_2099]

@@DIYTFY he’s clearly a genius, but he also has kind of a sadistic side, because he really didn’t need to treat her like that.

[@A.S.P.R.]

@@DIYTFY Maybe but he was also an asshole.

[@conatcha]

Her looks is so aggresive but she sound sooo sweet.

[@EricaFlipped]

conatcha she's always said that she loves everyone

[@Osmone_Everony]

+conatcha You don't know Nina. She is among the nicest people on this planet. Her being in the Punk rock scene was due to the fact that she grew up in the GDR and all of her performance was a kind of political protest. She is still a political activist. Don't get fooled by her acting. ;) She has a Facebook page if you're interested.

[@kellyjackson7889]

sheez un ar-tits-tist

[@conatcha]

@Way to Mars I have never been taught to hate anyone but if you need to slander people to feel better with yourself, I am OK with it. I also have a certain opinion about people that make shallow assumptions about people they never met, like you.

[@TheBobbymcd]

@@conatcha I think she looks sweet and gorgeous.

[@gregoryhoover2388]

She deserved a much better interview than Letterman provided. She is very unique and admire her artistic courage.

[@gabriofonda8181]

americans 🤢🤮

[@VladanUmicevic]

yeah a guy is kind of dick and not just with her....

[@markokoume9343]

This interview & all her Letterman interviews were perfect. He had his gimmick & she had hers; they both blended wonderfully.

[@ilonacheryl]

Agreed.

[@redlady935]

When someone boringly normal interviews someone original they always speak to them as if its hillarious that they are different

[@chutla_13]

He has Nina....Hagen in his chair. This brilliant and timeless being and he leads with questions about her fucking extenstions. FUCKING hell.

[@shawnfaddoul1779]

It's crazy to think she inspired Lady Gaga and Rammstein who are both completely different artists but you can hear and see it in their music and them as artists.

[@Mizzanthropizzed78]

Yes!!!!!!!!

[@boobiesexmachine]

kinda unrelated but i feel like gaga could have developed a way more interesting sound had she not gone down the marketable mainstream "party" pop sound. i still can appreciate her work but seems like her full artistic potential was never reached.

[@Cinnamon666Coca]

Especially Rammstein! One of the first things I noticed about them my first time listening to them at age 10.

[@negascoot23]

@@Cinnamon666Coca If you were allowed to listen to Rammstein at 10 years old, then clearly your parents didn't speak German😂

[@crashoverwrite5196]

@@negascoot23 No many parents here are so destroyed that they doesnt care much. Psychological warfare peaks here!

[@deborahnieling2315]

I am from Berlin and knew her personally! I made a Accessoire for her hair, a Sugar head and she loved it, she is privat a very nice person as well!!!! Love her👌♥️🎈

[@giri.goyo_yt]

Swoon!

[@larousserie]

She is absolutely awesome. Totally unique, unashamedly original and completely comfortable in her own skin. The world could do with more Nina Hagens. xx

[@lanabanana68]

Well said Paul.

[@j_freed]

The ultimate really. You have to believe in yourself to be that different and get away with it.

[@catherineshaw1122]

Decades ahead of her time, style wise. Such an innovator.

[@Nostrum84]

Absolutely agree. She sang to us 40 years ago and nowadays we are duller than ever...

[@maurice.halimasch]

But release: Nina Hagen can a perfectly english. All for the show.

[@heiraction883]

i was in the studio audience! i can't believe i found this on youtube! so great! that's the first time the world heard the term "extensions".

[@kari1884]

Heir Action omg really

[@wowfilme]

I love you guys btw. The audience is a very positive thing about the video and makes it a very wholesome video. In German talkshows and interviews nobody wants to understand her, here she´s always either a joke or a problem to everyone.

[@Rondo2ooo]

@@wowfilme Because in Germany we suffer from closed-minded people. Happily in the sense young generations are a totally different story.

[@amirmatinta6338]

Can you tell , what year you was in studio ???

[@judgies]

You're welcome!! Lol

[@davemoffat9281]

She's so sweet and polite

[@jamesrsfo]

I met Nina at the House of Blues Hollywood. She signed a photo to me. So beautiful and so talented ❤

[@davidserlin8097]

Describe your stage act: “Beyond words, of course.” Genius 💓

[@Backgroundcow]

I always loved how soft spoken she was. Wouldn’t expect something like that from her singing. She’s just so precious

[@fosbury68]

Her intelligence and self-awareness is obvious from her first word. I'm a Letterman fan but this interview isn't one of Dave's finest moments. BTW, the eye makeup gets an A++. When Dave asks her "explain your performance" and she sweetly says, "It's beyond words, of course". Truer words have never been spoken.

[@xtradelite903]

The mother of punk is 65 y/o now and is still performing! I swear, Nina better not ever die.

[@annikaluke9923]

I thought Patti Smith was the mother of punk…or maybe the grandmother.

[@AnthonyBurrito1313]

Man I would love to see her Live!

[@scjohnk]

She is NOT the mother of punk. She’s not punk. She just had pink hair.

[@kreeperfrm559]

I'm sure clonaid has a copy of her saved in files

[@neazenzen372]

;-;

[@ferngully5324]

sad how a generation think Gaga was the first of her kind. Not even close.

[@lymmetjed.9788]

Gaga is not the first, but she maybe the last.

[@lanabanana68]

Yes,tragic.

[@MegaSmk]

Oh, yes, Nina was IT!!

[@iTeacupPanda]

Let's not forget Kate Bush, Pete Burns. We see all these knock-offs, but nothing compares to the original.

[@tweevers2]

there was also Lene Lovich and Dale Bozzio

[@moehammondmedia]

Nina is so super kind, so super intelligent, so super talented, so super original and so so so super sexy.! Letterman was great at what he did too but he looked at her wild appearance and had no idea that he was talking to brilliant woman that spoke 5 languages and was deeply educated on everything from religion to politics. She went right over his head and he didn’t even know it. Hagen music legend!

[@lisamayes7761]

She is a heroin addict and stoned out of her head most of the time. Or was then. She might have weaned herself off now but only a couple of years ago people stopped inviting her on German talk shows as they never knew how she would be once there. If she would even be coherent.

[@catherineshaw1122]

@@lisamayes7761 that doesn't detract from her intelligence and creative genius.

[@andreagruber5813]

@@lisamayes7761 Oh god, one of these people why I left the German speaking area. Close minded, who sees the "mistakes" of their neighbours more than their own one. Oh I forget, people like you do not have ANY MISTAKES, isn't that so? Reducing people like her on this, instead of seeing what she could do! Sind wir neidisch, weil wir es nicht so "geschafft haben"? (just asked if she is jealous, because she did not get what she wanted).

[@mallinalii]

@@lisamayes7761 which time she was heroin addicted? was then? it's the same like being alcohol addicted. you can be sober but you will be it forever.

[@maurice.halimasch]

She loved to provoke - also with a pronounced german accent (but Letterman had no idea), is exceptionally intelligent and a true extraordinary talent. @Lisa Mayes: Whoever is invited to german talk shows is either completely dumbed down or has been forgotten.

[@MichelGmusic]

Letterman has no idea of these cultural references: "Kurt Weil, Bertold Brecht" -"yeah, right".

[@BiffChunksteak]

Of course he didn't. His next guest was Pee Wee Herman.

[@kathia.2856]

😅Yes

[@mikekaufmann5311]

I realize now he was a proudly uncultured, sarcastic swine and I'm sorry I was once a fan.

[@maurice.halimasch]

Letterman had also no idea of her playful accent. She lived before this interview many years in UK and spoke a english like people from Manchester. But for Letterman: THE GERMAN PANZER. So great. And his mind is empty.

[@KomradeKrusher]

@@BiffChunksteak I got a hunch that Paul Reubens knew damn well about Kurt Weil and Bertolt(!) Brecht even back then.

[@Handiman544]

It's not fair!!!! This woman is having too too much fun with life. To be this totally free and talented...

[@darrennolan1433]

genau

[@lanabanana68]

Every life has it,s sad moments.She had some heartbreak i,m sure with her partner at the time being a drug addict.But i know what you mean,i love her wild abandon.She,s fantastic.

[@MrSilvestris]

She came from East Germany (A suppressing totalitarian government). Arriving into the free world, as an artist she could do anything AND make a living out of it too! Good for her!

[@dixieleefyne]

@Antoine Beau I think any good is good...and she’s always adorable 💗

[@BairMendoza]

Nina is required listening. New York New York is STILL one of my faves. 🤩

[@janika293]

I love Nina Hagen. She is very beautiful and i love her voice.

[@retrorockdriquesrock9638]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@marty88ish]

Love this era of artists…Nina, Grace Jones and others were ground breaking artists.

[@richiehoyt8487]

I never would have thought to connect Nina Hagen and Grace Jones, but now you mention it, it's like, "Of course..!"

[@Fnord23Gnosis]

I'm so in love with how she expresses herself and is just her. Gorgeous!

[@JM-ij1om]

She is 100 times more charming than Letterman could ever be! She's adorable ♥️

[@markokoume9343]

They are both charming. That is why people tuned in to him for 3 decades & why she returned to Letterman again & again. They are both contradictory of one another yet get along wonderfully.

[@gutterdocmd]

She is such a sweet person. She has the best facial expressions....love her.

[@leanidis300]

African Reggae is one of my favorite tunes from Nina, still play it today.

[@negascoot23]

This is simultaneously my favorite interview on KZbin and the hardest to watch: Nina is funny and fascinating and almost ridiculously adorable--it is physically impossible to not love her beauty and personality... While Dave never gets past: "Let's all point and laugh at the weird foreigner! She sounds and looks different from us--I find her appearance and beliefs irrationally threatening, so I will do my best to make her feel small and weak to hide my own insecurities!" He has all the tact of a 9 year old playground bully--and even less maturity. Letterman makes me ashamed to be American here :(

[@kari1884]

James Daniels excelent comment

[@mrgallagher7072]

I loved watching Letterman but I have to agree with you nina is so precious and intelligent Letterman really screwed up what could have been an excellent interview.

[@jamesmorrison2055]

I’m not sure how being American has anything to do with it. Who ever said David Letterman represented all Americans?

[@1evilhag_]

@@jamesmorrison2055 Idk because he’s probably one of the few Americans to have interviewed her on this level? That’s why I think.

[@matermatuta1462]

This comment hits the nail on the head, preach!

[@John_Weiss]

I love Nina Hagen. She's nuts. 😆 And her voice! Opera meets punk … incredible.

[@rvdnagel1963]

A friend and I once bought tickets to see Nina Hagen in De Melkweg in Amsterdam. If i remember well it was also in 1985, probably november or december. The show was set to start at 21:00 but Nina, or the band were nowhere to be found. Anouncements of the delay were made so the audience waited and waited. Some people who brought they're instruments started jamming, which i found, brought a nice atmosphere. Eventhough the spirit was still pretty good, clearly not everybody was cool with the situation. Some of them got unpatient and by the time it was about 23:00 some started shouting and demended a refund. Not long after this half of the people gave up and left. We just had a couple of beer, stayed untill about 00:30 and decided we had to take the last bus home, which is about 22 KM from De Melkweg. When we got outside we were schocked. While we inside it had started snowing and by the time we got out Amsterdam was covered under a thick layer of snow! We managed to take a tram to the busstation but we knew with this sudden snow chances of finding transport home were slim. And exactly as we expected, buses were suspended due to weather conditions. We didn't know what to do now. We were stranded in Amsterdam in the middle of the winter, in the middle of the night and with little money left. There were no trains going to our hometown, a taxi was financially out of reach, if they would be riding in the first place. After careful consideration we decided to do something we would NEVER do in any "normal" situation. We counted our last money and bought ourselves a big shawarma, fries and a big coffee, and last but not least, a bottle of water. After that we walked through Amsterdam and it wasn't long before we found what we were looking for: a good, sturdy, stable bicycle with a passenger seat and a cheap lock. A few minutes later we were on our way home. On the way we changed every 10, 15 minutes or so. Luckily we chose a good bicycle which was a great help. Riding a stolen bicycle thrue a thick layer of snow with an adult man at the back after too many beers is not for the faint hearted. It must have taken us more than two hours before we arrived at my friend's house and from there i continued to my house near the police station. When i passed the police station i parked the bicycle next to the entrance and left a note with the place where the bicycle was stolen. Whether they have brought the bicycle back to Amsterdam, i can only say, i hope so😀 By the way, we are still friends and i still like Nina Hagen but i never had another chance to see her play.

[@ninagarza1497]

Fascinating.

[@anneloubangert7740]

Goed verhaal 👍🏼

[@rvdnagel1963]

@@anneloubangert7740 Dankjewel!

[@luiserenner7147]

I hope she reads this to pay you a visit. Romantic story! Some things are as awful as memorable

[@playokay]

Have you ever heard the phrase 'to make a long story short'? just kidding haha ;)

[@tombrody9208]

Nina Hagen is one of the performers who defined the NEW WAVE era of rock'n'roll music. Roughly, the NEW WAVE era encompassed the years, 1978 to 1985. Other bands that defined the NEW WAVE era of rock'n'roll music include, Devo, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, Bow Wow Wow, Human League, Gang of Four, Killing Joke, The Police, Tears for Fears, Wall of Voodoo, Oingo Boingo, Siouxie and the Banshees, and many others. How infinitely glad I am that I was able to witness this NEW WAVE era.

[@InsideBilderberg]

Both Nina and Killing Joke are one of my all time favorites.

[@chrystallee5528]

I remember Nina Hagen. I was a big fan as a teen back in the day. She, Laurie Andersen, Lena Lovitch, Grace Jones & Siouxsie Sioux of the Banshees were stand out artists of the day. New Wave was and is a great music genre.

[@Una...]

Yes! I've not seen Laurie Anderson mentioned in a while. She's an artistic idol of mine.

[@MrAndrePBC]

I utterly agree with you!

[@duetforherbivores]

I'm oddly proud of myself for knowing all those names mentioned lol.

[@precarious333]

God damn, Nina is so fucking beautiful!

[@MrSebboxxx]

indeed she is ...

[@MrSebboxxx]

***** es muss verdammt hart sein als Punk-Queen älter zu werden ...

[@davidgrahamscott]

***** crazy is good my friend

[@TheGodParticle]

She needs a good bath by the looks of her

[@josuegta80]

+precarious333

[@MarcShake]

Fun Fact: A song by Nina Hagen was played at the celebration for Angela Merkel.

[@visualhatefvck]

Good Choice tho 🙏🏻

[@CatatonicImperfect]

and not just any "celebration", but the ceremonial send-off for chancellors leaving office, a "grand tattoo". it's a weird and anachronistic ceremony that nobody really cares about in Germany, performed by a military orchestra that looks really scary with soldiers in steel helmets carrying torches. so this very serious military orchestra played songs Merkel requested, among them this one by Nina Hagen. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIXYq4usgdBqd7M

[@MarcShake]

@@CatatonicImperfect I just don't know what it's called in English 🤣

[@CatatonicImperfect]

@@MarcShake I had to Google, too. I just wanted to paint the scene here for international audiences. Frohes Fest!

[@Felix-fy7ki]

@@CatatonicImperfect Exactly. But see: They have plastic helmets nowadays. ;-)

[@519forestmonk9]

I wonder how many of the 1980s American audience understood that she said that she grew up in the Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill tradition? Let’s just laugh at her hair!

[@catherineshaw1122]

Not a single person in that audience, lol.

[@xjrlionheart4423]

You cannot expect good education in the US. It`s all about show and money.

[@roddlyyouaremine]

Terrible interview. This is an intelligent woman, but Letter is incapable of moving beyond the superficial Give me Strombo any day.

[@lanabanana68]

Agreed.

[@edmund184]

she may be intelligent but she's as mad as a brush

[@razvandobos9759]

A lot of pop culture and celebrities are superficial, but not Nina here.

[@pechondelgado]

Letterman's fan base is incapable of moving beyond the superficial.

[@Treychik]

@@edmund184 it's just a part she plays :)

[@foxerella23]

What a legend! Way,way ahead of time,paved the way for many female artists to become more theatrical & so lovely too!

[@LarzGustafsson]

Nina looked gorgeous here.

[@Silklinen757]

I know right!

[@gixxerboy555]

more than georgious

[@kutekittykatproductions]

What do you look like?

[@moehammondmedia]

Yes she did. Wow.

[@jeanniesgems7662]

yes what a gorgeous face.

[@lincbond442]

Nina and Siouxsie are goddesses.

[@valegae854]

♥️

[@H.C.Q.]

Yes! They both have the coolest makeup and facial expression- not to mention talented singers, of course.

[@catherineshaw1122]

And Kate Bush. We had such beautiful innovators in the 80s.

[@sw408]

Incredible Nina. She is pure magic.😍

[@gunfuego]

Beautiful, intelligent, and talented. Talk about a triple threat. Her deep gravily singing voice is incredible. I never expected her normal voice to be so soft and wonderful....

[@FFM0594]

Vocal Range: B♭1 - D7

[@huawafabe]

Wouldn't call her intelligent. She speaks nonsense a lot, like claiming she's been abducted by aliens and having ghost friends etc.

[@d.7416]

Marlene Dietrich, Nina Hagen, Nico, Klaus Nomi, Kraftwerk, Rammstein and so many more: i love german musicians. They always changed music for the better, their influence is beyond words.

[@ritahorvath8207]

Please take Klaus Nomi out of the list, he is so overrated . .

[@mallinalii]

don't forget all the different kinds of Krautrock !

[@maurice.halimasch]

and so on with: Accept, Scorpions, Erosion, Sodom, Kreator, Assassin, Despair, PROTECTOR, Destruction, Rheingold, Fehlfarben, Extrabreit bis hin zu Blind Guardian, Edguy or Nena.

[@blackforest_fairy]

@@mallinalii *Deutschrock... Krauts is an insult.

[@I_have_some_serious_problems]

Don't forget Beethoven, Bach and other classical music giants :D

[@simonalyneenderz3247]

A friend of mine was obsessed with her when we were teenagers. I always thought she was a little petite woman. She was tall and modelesque! She was way ahead of her time!!

[@gogreen3895]

Letterman really missed the boat on this one - a real shame. I would have loved to hear what she would have to say with a real interviewer who doesn't interrupt.

[@ThePantruca]

+Go Green Letterman did always interrupted his guess, he was an Asshole (Cher was right)

[@lanabanana68]

Me too,he was a knob.

[@MegaSmk]

Letterman was extremely lucky here. Nina on a crazy day would have destroyed him :-)

[@MrSilvestris]

Merv Griffin was very good in his interviews with Nina. You can feel the difference.

[@ims.MichaelJames]

I agree. I felt he didn't interview her well.

[@Neuroneos]

I sing songs about UFOs, God, Love, Sex, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven...

[@cloudbushting3398]

Neuroneos Nice The Dreaming pic, it's my favourite Kate album! I'm really getting into Nina's music now...

[@Neuroneos]

Cloudbushting She's great

[@cloudbushting3398]

Yes!

[@skaterslut]

Oh cuz sex sound like six in German

[@j_freed]

She kinda rolls her eyes when it's apparent Dave will demand she 'explain' what a modern punk musician who dresses like an alien would be doing onstage. But that could also just be the drugs she is tripping on at several strange moments.

[@rosaruiz4591]

I love her voice, apart from her amazing singing, I could listen to her talk for hours 🥰

[@doublebirdie]

Have you heard her singing rammstein? Awesome!

[@maureenwagg5305]

Omg I have such admiration for Nina. She is probably the funniest woman with the best voice the eighties ever produced. She has an underrated voice. It's amazing.

[@NibsNiven]

She's from the 70s.

[@GrtLakes812]

The range she had was insane. Guttural and growling one minute, operatic the next, and then singing like your average 80’s pop star the next. Simply amazing!!

[@negascoot23]

@@GrtLakes812 Given the unbelievable versatility of her voice, I always thought she would kill as a voice actor. Imagine...she could voice the entire cast of an animated series. It's not too late 💗💗💗

[@prismwashere]

And also what? No. Gitane Dimone, Lisa Gerrard, Siouxsie, Elizabeth Fraser, Cosey, Grace Jones, Jarboe. You are welcome.

[@victoriaguarinoalemany4281]

De mis favoritas increible🌹🌹🌹🌹🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆👑💃

[@antonkern639]

and its 2021 - and she is still - a world star..... outstanding....

[@librarysuicides]

First time I'm hearing her voice and I am absolutely stunned. She is too adorable!

[@bungalobill7941]

Who Madonna and Lady Gaga wanted to be. She is also twice as interesting as those poseurs.

[@jackkoffin1]

I've got nothing against Lady Gaga specifically, but back in her heyday the rock media made a big deal about her strange outfits and quirky videos as if she were some cutting-edge artist, which was just ridiculous as her pop-music was as bland and banal as anything else you'd hear on the radio at the time. People had been doing much more interesting stuff for decades before Gaga half-assed her way to stardom.

[@cygnusrays]

My favorite YT comment ever "Lady Gaga isn't fit to make Nina Hagens sandwiches" Kudos to whoever penned that

[@j_freed]

Siouxsie Sioux was of course the progenitor of so many, including Hagen.

[@49sr]

@@j_freed Nina Hagen was starting her musical career around the same time as Siouxsie.

[@musicrecordschannel981]

@@jackkoffin1 Now you look like a dummy after Gaga earned her Oscar hahahaha

[@stevenlovell3300]

She is darling! Love you Nina.

[@the.woodrow.wilson]

1:48 Make you look like Boy George :D

[@scazermazz]

Heard Nina in college and was hooked. She's the matriarch of avant garde rock

[@21sashalee]

Nina was insanely gorgeous in her prime. So is her daughter. I was obsessssssed with this woman

[@GMOTP5738]

Shes so cute ❤

[@KurtI2525]

It's obvious now, but watching this, I realized that Letterman was ALWAYS a super-square.

[@Mrariesdave]

Letterman wasn't just a square, he always has to pay for it.

[@catherineshaw1122]

Yep, and that awkwardness is what made him different.

[@TheSoftLifeMeditations]

yeah awfull

[@051963mf]

She is the coolest.

[@GreasyFilms-qc1xo]

One of a kind talent, and I love how friendly she is here.

[@naosouconduzidoconduzo996]

Nina Hagen is eternally loved in Brazil!

[@EdEditz]

You can keep your Lady GaGa's. There's only one original, one Nina!! :-)

[@trentigalaxy]

EdEditz Then there's the American original : *DIVINE*

[@dirkbogarde44]

trentigalaxy Ere...that was a bloke.

[@lanabanana68]

For sure.

[@sensitivespirit1118]

EdEditz The white grace jones! Man i wish i could dress like her Fuck my parents their so cookie cutter!

[@negascoot23]

Your point being...?

[@Foko851]

funny,today everybody nows whats extentions are.! but at the time.!

[@creativeblunder]

Yup!

[@pleasedontfeedthe6235]

Our planet doesn't deserve Nina Hagen 😪 She truly is 'the only unique Nina Hagen'.. love her so much. So quick witted and intelligent and an insanely talented artist/performer who inspired so many other amazing artists. I think Letterman was intimidated by her, so he kept circling back to hair extensions.

[@mootbooxle]

Just getting into Nina. There is something soooo compelling about her!

[@robdixson196]

She has a hardcore Dolly Pardon vibe. She does her own thing and is completely un phased by negativity thrown her way.

[@CathysouthwesternColors]

She is AMAZING!!

[@YummyBaer]

She’s such an institution to the Art World and such a sweetheart

[@scrubjay93]

I loved her music at the time but had never seen an interview until now! 💙

[@markrichardson8941]

I remember hearing she going to be on letterman and staying up to watch and being disappointed that she didn't sing . Still great to actually see her . I had only heard her music on a cassette tape my friend dubbed for me . I really didn't know what she looked like , no interwebs back then and I kinda lived in the sticks I guess .

[@petebjerkelund5088]

Letterman completely wasted that interview and really had no clue about who he had infront of him. Nina played along though.

[@charliestewart5164]

When Nina did this appearance on Letterman, maybe 1% of Americans knew who Bertoldt Brecht was, and now in 2021 maybe 3% know. Anyway, Dave likely wouldn't have known of Brecht either and so didn't pursue any good questions w/Nina after she said she was from 'Brecht's' tradition, which is a whole school of thought where she is from. But at least people got to see what a sweetheart she really is, 1 of a kind.

[@darast.angelo261]

saw her in london in 1986!!!! love love love!!

[@lyrialzander]

I love the sparkle in her eyes when she pictures him styled as Boy George 😂😊❤

[@SheWhoWalksWithLucifer]

She's so beautiful 😍

[@agstinacueva1673]

Underrated artist

[@TheMysteryMachine]

Saw this when i was a kid. Never forgot it.

[@RonWylie-gk5lc]

She is really beautiful, I love her voice

[@Deedee-ee1sg]

NINA HAGEN is a brilliant, eccentric, unique and extremely talented artist. I love her voice. She looks incredible in this clip! Shame the music industry/music magazines rarely mention her, though I've requested they do some features on her extraordinary career. C'mon Mojo, Uncut, Rolling Stone, etc etc!!

[@markalexander5392]

Beyond words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@drunk1998]

her too made things before all, great talent

[@teckertime]

Love Nina! Been a fan for 30 years..

[@tanpar8805]

She's a fantastic performer. The Metal Diva after "Seemann".

[@PinkyPuff69]

Expression is the highest art.

[@WinkLinkletter]

All art is expression.

[@WinkLinkletter]

@@PinkyPuff69 So are you! Speaking of "expression" Ms. Hagen's elastic faced, eye rolling lip twists and all, singing or speaking, are so much a part of her art, to me. You could just play her songs on Spotify for someone unfamiliar, but they would be missing a big piece of Nina. She does a bit of expressing here in the interview that speaks volumes...ha!

[@Thorrnn]

I got the chance to see her live at The Palace, in Hollywood, in the early 90's. It was pretty awesome.

[@thatbitchnoemie]

I LIVE for this look.

[@MagicPlants]

she hit that american "A" in "band" so legit

[@Paulo-rr1sp]

Sou fã desde sempre tenho 55 anos, amo nina : Paulo- Goiânia Brasil, aguardo contato com outros fãs

[@echospaw899]

I must have been under a rock for a while. So glad I discovered her by happenstance. Big love 3:)

[@adamtier3263]

Nina is a pure soul and Letterman is the cold sinical world!

[@tiernanryan2078]

I'm glad Letterman at least asked about her UFO encounter. That should have been the main topic. But it's Letterman after all.🛸

[@bigfaff]

I absolutely bloody love this woman

[@swtv1754]

Can't believe she was actually on Letterman. She was such an underground artist for the United States, and her "weirdness" is what made me love her!!

[@Timinator62]

In they early 80's "weirdness" was all the Rage in the USA, The B-52's, the Ramones, the Plasmatics, the Cramps, Oingo Boingo were a few of our own homegrown weirdos.

[@markokoume9343]

His show was great at finding them!

[@LB-ds4md]

I was present at the Beacon theater that Saturday night in NY !! Great show! I wish I have seen her live when she was promoting Nun Sex Monk Rock album!!

[@joshhodg]

I love her whole ensemble! The thigh-highs tie it all together. Yeah she's always been a bit of loony tunes but I love the hell out of her!

[@ZeroChannelZero]

"With some hot. With some fiyah. With fiyah. She's fiyah. She puts fiyah on your heair." 2:10 Loop this forever. I'm done.

[@cherryblossombaby96]

I loved that part too. Her voice and her accent are so cute

[@Nilguiri]

That was so cute and funny and it went right over Letterman's head like everything else.

[@josejavierbarriosbriceno3245]

Nina se burla de la gente de una manera tan genial!!! Ella es Nina Hagen.... Love her SO!!

[@mamaburr]

I remember this! For a New Yorker, he just couldn't deal lol

[@lildiscostu]

nina will be always remebered, when letterman is already been long forgotten

[@zombeaver69]

i don't know about that one

[@catherineshaw1122]

You kind of have that backwards. I adore Nina, and she is an innovative artist, but Letterman will always have a stronger presence in pop culture.

[@charliewecker]

She is so adorable.

[@happyhead64]

OH MY GAWD - she is freaking adorable! She has the voice of a little pixie angel - I adore this lady so much

[@happyhead64]

Ok, I was hoping so. :) I actually remember this episode. :D

[@wimpernschlag3201]

a widely underestimated artist and real authentic personality. Ahead of her time. A real star in the sense of the word.