Renato Fiacchini was born in Rome in the Via di Ripetta, next to the Via del Corso.
He quit his studies early to devote himself to his true passion, playing music and singing - though initially with little success. He replied to the criticisms (including the recurring insult Sei uno zero! - "You're a zero!") by assuming the alter-ego of Renato Zero. After several different jobs, including an appearance in an advertisement for ice-cream, he recorded his first singles in 1965: "Tu, sì", "Il deserto", "La solitudine", which were never issued. His first published single, "Non basta sai/In mezzo ai guai" (1967), sold a total of 20 copies.
In the late 1960s Zero's career was favoured by the glam-rock fashion, which he had somehow presaged with his sexual ambiguity and androgynous appearance. At the same time, this led him to be accused of cloning characters like David Bowie. In 1973 he issued his first LP, No! Mamma, no! (live), but with little success. The follow-up Invenzioni met the same fate.
Birth of the "Zerophilia"
It was not until 1976 that he scored his first hit with the single "Madame". "Madame" and the album including it, Trapezio, established a regular and loyal audience for Zero. This was to increase exponentially in the following years, until he could boast a huge following of die-hard fans that he dubbed "Sorcini" ("Little Mice").
The late 1970s were indeed years of great success for Zero's character, with the LPs Zerofobia ("Zerophobia", 1977), Zerolandia (1978) and Erozero (1979) topping the Italian charts. At this time Renato Zero was amongst the two or three most popular singers in Italy and his song "Il Carrozzone" was already regarded, also by critics, as one of the best Italian songs ever.
In 1979 Zero played himself in the movie "Ciao Nì" (his usual greeting to his fans, which can be roughly translated as "Hi pal!"). In Italy this film was to be more successful than the blockbuster "Superman".
The 1980s
In the 1980s he began to abandon make-up and greasepaint, but this did not rid Zero of his mania for grandeur: in the 1980 tour, for example, he entered the scene riding a white horse. In 1982 he began a collaboration with the opera director Renato Serio, who was to write the string arrangements for almost all of Zero's following LPs. In late 1983 he took part in RAI's Fantastico 3, then the most popular Italian TV show.
His career continued to be successful until 1984, with top-charts songs like "Amico" ("Friend") and "Spiagge" ("Beaches"). That year, however, his album Leoni si nasce and the tour of the same name, in which he appeared disguised as a lion and escorted by four aborigines, were commercial failures. The album Zero of 1987 marked the low point of his career: instead of playing in arenas and stadiums, Zero had to sing almost for free in the piazzas and discos of Italy's minor cities.
1990s and 2000s: the Comeback
In 1991 Renato Zero participated to the Sanremo Music Festival with "Spalle al muro", and from that moment on his career began to rise again. In 1993 he was nr.1 in the Italian charts with the LP Quando non sei più nessuno. The following year Imperfetto repeated this success. During his tour concerts would regularly sell out, and he returned to his famous dress changes during the spectacles, although in a less kitsch and more balanced style.
In 2004 his tour "Cattura il sogno/Il sogno continua" (Catch the dream/The dream continues) was awarded from Pollstar magazine as the most successful of the year in Italy and as well as one of the most successful worldwide (#30). The recording af the Roman concerts, held at Olimpico Stadium in June, was the best selled musical DVD of 2004. In 2005 he took part to the Italian stage of Live 8, in the Circo Massimo. In November his new album Il dono ("The Gift") topped the charts and maintained #1 until the end of the year. In December 2005 he performed in the Vatican with a song dedicated to Pope John Paul II. Renato Zero's most recent tour started in February 2006 and is entitled Zero movimento. During some concerts held at the time of the campaign for the April 2006 elections he declared himself against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Triangolo
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rintracciarti non è un problema
Ti telefonerò
Ti offrirò una serata strana
Il pretesto lo sai
Quattro dischi, un po' di whisky
Sarò grande vedrai
Fammi spazio e dopo mi dirai
Che maschio sei
Lui chi è?
Come mai l'hai portato con te?
Il suo ruolo mi spieghi qual è?
Io volevo incontrarti da sola se mai
Mentre lui
Lui chi è?
Lui chi è?
Lui chi è?
Lui chi è?
Già è difficile farlo con te
Mollalo
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Lui cos'è? (Lui cos'è?)
Lui com'è?
È distratto, ma è certo di troppo
Mollalo
Mi aspettavo lo sai
Un rapporto un po' più normale
Quale eventualità
Trovarmi una collocazione
Ora spiegami, dai
L'atteggiamento che dovrò adottare
Mentre io rischierei
Di trovarmi al buio fra le braccia lui
Non è il mio tipo
Lui chi è?
Si potrebbe vedere
(Lui chi è?)
Si potrebbe inventare
(Lui chi è?)
Si potrebbe rubare
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Lui chi è?
Già è difficile farlo con te
Mollalo
Il triangolo, no
Non lo avevo considerato
D'accordo, ci proverò
La geometria, non è un reato
Garantisci per lui?
Per questo amore un po' articolato?
Mentre io rischierei
Ma il triangolo io lo rifarei
Perché no?
Lo rifarei
Lui chi è?
No, no, no, no, no
Lui chi è?
Lui chi è?
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
No, no, no, no, no, uh
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Lui chi è? (Lui chi è?)
Ehi, ehi
Ma loro, dico loro
Chi sono? (Lui chi è?)
(Uuh)
(Lui chi è?)
(Lui chi è?)
(Uuh)
(Lui chi è?)
(Lui chi è?)
The lyrics to Renato Zero's "Triangolo" are about the singer attempting to reconnect with someone they have not seen in a while. The singer has the person's address and will call them to offer to spend a strange evening together. The person is hesitant because they wanted to meet alone, but the singer has brought someone else with them. The singer asks who the other person is and what their role is in the situation. The person is distracted, but the singer is willing to try to make the situation work, even if it means being in a love triangle.
The lyrics suggest a complicated emotional situation. The singer is eager to reconnect with someone, but they are not alone, complicating their plans. The other person is distracted and not a clear part of the plan. The singer is willing to try to make it work, even though it is not what they had hoped for. The idea of a love triangle is introduced, adding a layer of complexity to the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
L'indirizzo ce l'ho
I have your address
Rintracciarti non è un problema
Finding you is not a problem
Ti telefonerò
I'll call you
Ti offrirò una serata strana
I'll offer you a strange night
Il pretesto lo sai
You know the pretext
Quattro dischi, un po' di whisky
Four records, a little whiskey
Sarò grande vedrai
You'll see I'll be great
Dammi spazio, e dopo, mi dirai
Give me space, and later, you'll tell me
Che maschio sei
What kind of guy are you?
Lui chi è?
Who is he?
Come mai l'hai portato con te?
Why did you bring him with you?
Il suo ruolo mi spieghi qual'è?
Can you explain to me what his role is?
Io volevo incontrarti da sola
I wanted to meet you alone
Se mai
If ever
Mentre lui
While he
Lui chi è?
Who is he?
Lui chi è?
Who is he?
Lui chi è?
Who is he?
Già è difficile farlo con te
It's already difficult to do it with you
Mollalo
Let him go
Lui chi è?
Who is he?
Lui cos'è?
What is he?
Lui com'è?
What's he like?
È distratto, ma è certo di troppo
He's distracted, but he's sure of himself
Mollalo
Let him go
Mi aspettavo lo sai
I was expecting, you know
Un rapporto un po' più normale
A somewhat more normal relationship
Quale eventualità
What possibility
Trovarsi una collocazione
Finding a place
Ora spiegami, dai
Now explain it to me, come on
L'atteggiamento che dovrò adottare
The attitude I should adopt
Mentre io rischierei
While I might risk
Di trovarmi al buio fra le braccia lui
To find myself in his arms in the dark
Non è il mio tipo
He's not my type
Lui chi è
Who is he?
Il triangolo, no
The triangle, no
Non lo avevo considerato
I hadn't considered it
D'accordo, ci proverò
Alright, I'll try
La geometria, non è un reato
Geometry is not a crime
Garantisci per lui?
Do you vouch for him?
Per questo amore un po' articolato?
For this somewhat complicated love?
Mentre io rischierei
While I might risk
Ma il triangolo io lo rifarei
But I would do the triangle again
Perché no?
Why not?
Lo rifarei
I would do it again
Lui chi è
Who is he?
Ehi, a loro
Hey, to them
Dico loro
I say to them
Chi sono
Who are they
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Renato Fiacchini, Mario Vicari
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind