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.
Ave Maria
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ave Maria
La crudeltà, l'ingenuità
Ave Maria
Noi, sempre ad un passo, dal cielo
Poi davanti agli occhi, quel velo
Schegge d'eroi, venuti dal mai
Ave Maria
Fiori appena spuntati, e già recisi
Ave Maria
Rei, di questa cieca ignoranza
Rei, del vuoto di una presenza
Puoi, illuminarci
Maria
Puoi, un'altra volta, puoi
Maria
Figli, taciuti
Venduti o dimenticati
Orrore eppure
Anche tu hai finto di non vedere
Alimentando così il silenzio
Che è qui
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Dove si muore prima di poter capire
Ave Maria
Dove la ragione non ha più niente, da imparare
Ave Maria
Sì, siamo meschini e anche vili
Ma non siamo stati mai, così soli
Soli
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Stai, con la povera gente, stai
Dai colore a chi non ha niente, niente
Sai quella coscienza, ci sfugge
E la paura è già legge
Ave Maria
Più luce alla speranza
È così buia, questa via
Ave Maria
Un abbraccio ancora
Tu puoi farlo, Maria
Un'altra volta, Maria
The lyrics of the song "Ave Maria" by Renato Zero contain a powerful message about the cruelty and naïveté of humanity, and how we are always just one step away from heaven. The first verse talks about how much poetry is wasted and thrown away in the world, and how cruel and ignorant we can be as a species. Despite being so close to heaven, we are often blinded by a veil that hides the true heroes who have come before us. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Ave Maria" over and over again, showing the singer's desperation for some kind of divine help to illuminate the darkness of the world.
The second verse is a call to action, urging the listener to break the silence that surrounds us and to speak out against the horrors of the world. Despite the fact that we may be surrounded by the silent horror of neglect, ignorance, and cruelty, we can still reach out to those who have been abandoned or forgotten. Maria, in this context, represents the possibility of hope and redemption in a world that often seems hopeless. The final verse is a plea to continue fighting for this hope, even when the world seems too dark, cold, and lonely. The message of the song is powerful and timeless, touching on themes that will continue to resonate with people for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Quanta poesia, buttata via.
So much poetry, thrown away.
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
La crudeltà, l'ingenuità
Cruelty and naiveties
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Noi, sempre ad un passo, dal cielo
We, always one step away from the sky.
Poi davanti agli occhi, quel velo
Then in front of our eyes, that veil.
Schegge d'eroi, venuti dal mai
Fragments of heroes, come from never.
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Fiori appena spuntati, e già recisi
Flowers that have just bloomed, already cut.
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Rei, di questa cieca ignoranza
Guilty of this blind ignorance.
Rei, del vuoto di una presenza
Guilty of the void of a presence.
Puoi, illuminarci
You can enlighten us.
Maria
Mary
Puoi, un'altra volta, puoi
You can, once again, you can
Maria
Mary
Figli, taciuti
Silent children
Venduti o dimenticati
Sold or forgotten
Orrore eppure
Horror and yet
Anche tu hai finto di non vedere
You too have pretended not to see
Alimentando così il silenzio
Thus feeding the silence
Che è qui
That is here
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Dove si muore prima di poter capire
Where one dies before being able to understand
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Dove la ragione non ha più niente, da imparare
Where reason has nothing more to learn
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Sì, siamo meschini e anche vili
Yes, we are mean and also vile
Ma non siamo stati mai, così soli
But we have never been so lonely
Soli
Alone
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Stai, con la povera gente, stai
Stay with the poor people, stay
Dai colore a chi non ha niente, niente
Give color to those who have nothing, nothing
Sai quella coscienza, ci sfugge
You know that conscience eludes us
E la paura è già legge
And fear is already the law
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Più luce alla speranza
More light to hope
È così buia, questa via
This path is so dark
Ave Maria
Hail Mary
Un abbraccio ancora
Another embrace
Tu puoi farlo, Maria
You can do it, Mary
Un'altra volta, Maria
Once again, Mary
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Renato Fiacchini, Renato Serio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrea Calderoni
La più grande interpretazione della storia del Festival della canzone italiana. C'è stato semplicemente tutto. Prova sul palco da annali. Grazie Zero!
ANTONELLA ZEI
O come era bello Renato Zero.
Stefano Traverso
Gran brano di Zero, che meritava il podio assolutamente
Guit
Non è un cantante, non è un poeta, è un visionario che fa cantare la sua anima. Un extraterrestre nello scialbo panorama musicale italiano. Che Dio ti benedica Renato!!! Grazie di esistere!!!
Umberto Tamma
♥️👍
Flavio Perrera
Dire scialbo panorama italiano mi sembra eccessivo.Baglioni, Vasco Rossi,De andre', De Gregori. Rappresentano altrettanta arte e bravura. La nostra musica è molto ma molto altro.
Stefano Pambianco
Doveva vince lui quel Sanremo....brano dalla bellezza immensa👍👏👏👏
tina russo
In questo periodo è il momento di questo canto. Caro Renato questo disco è magnifico. Che il Signore ti benedica..
Ancora mi emoziono a sentirla. 🙏🙏🙏
Grazia Giannuso
Renato Zero , immenso , un fuori classe , UNICO , IRRIPETIBILE . Lui va sempre OLTRE . La sua voce , la sua arte e le sue interpretazioni assolutamente incommensurabili .
Silvana Forte
Zerofolli sorcini come me alziamoci per una standing ovation per questo pezzo che è poesia pura. Grande interpretazione con ausilio del coro e parte strumentale. Il maestro Serio ha concepito un capolavoro che non era adatto ad un festival dove si predilige una canzone più commerciale. Sono anni che non seguo più in festival di Sanremo. Io seguo solo Renato nazionale perché devo urlare a squarcia gola finché ho fiato: "grandeeee". Ciao Ní