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.
Da uomo a uomo
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E con le mance in tasca sei un signore
A questo punto puoi aspirare a tanto
Anche a lei
Sua madre, quella strega, è sempre uguale
Con gli occhi da assassina così venale
Diventerà finalmente un po' cordiale
Ti sentirai più forte, un uomo vero
Parlando della casa da comprare
E lei ti premierà offrendosi con slancio
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
E non lasciarli fare
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
L'aria, l'aria che respiravi poco tempo fa
Ha ancora il suo profumo
Di cose vere, di cose pure, di libertà
Oh no, non domandarti dove, come
Come trascinerai la vita tua
Con chi, con chi cancellerai il tuo nome
Per chi
"Due etti di prosciutto"
"Sì, signora
È ancora a letto con la febbre il suo bambino?
Che peccato, vuole anche il formaggino?"
La vita dietro un banco a costruire
Un avvenire che le possa dare
La sicurezza, un'auto, qualcosa da invidiare
L'avrai
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
E non lasciarli fare
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
The song "Da Uomo a Uomo" by Renato Zero tells the story of a man who, thanks to his job as a grocer's assistant, managed to rise in social status and become a gentleman who can aspire to win the heart of a woman he desires. The song exposes some of the consequences of social mobility, the heroine's mother being one of the crucial examples, refusing the singer's advances before, when he was still a grocer’s assistant. The woman, portrayed as a witch with a venal look in her eye, will finally become more courteous toward him. The singer feels more confident, as he can speak boldly about buying a house one day, and it has a more significant impact on his lover. She then offers herself to him with enthusiasm, which he finally wins.
However, further on in the song, the lyrics take a darker turn. In contrast to the optimism of the previous verse, the singer is warned that he does not know the cost of his successes. The song urges the singer to save a part of himself and not let others take control of his life. He is warned not to become a man to burn by implication, that is, not to let his aspirations become his undoing, and not to become prey to the expectations of others. Ultimately, the song portrays the cost of social striving and warns those who desire social mobility to recognize the trade-offs and be careful not to lose themselves in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
Adesso che sei il garzone del droghiere
Now that you are the grocer's boy
E con le mance in tasca sei un signore
And with tips in your pocket you are a gentleman
A questo punto puoi aspirare a tanto
At this point you can aspire to so much
Anche a lei
Even to her
Sua madre, quella strega, è sempre uguale
Her mother, that witch, is always the same
Con gli occhi da assassina così venale
With eyes like an assassin, so venal
Diventerà finalmente un po' cordiale
She will finally become a bit more cordial
Ti sentirai più forte, un uomo vero
You will feel stronger, a real man
Parlando della casa da comprare
Talking about the house to buy
E lei ti premierà offrendosi con slancio
And she will reward you by offering herself with enthusiasm
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
You will have her, you will have her with enthusiasm and love
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
You will have her, but you don't know the price you will have to pay
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
Run away, flee and save something within you
E non lasciarli fare
And don't let them do it
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
Don't become a man to burn
L'aria, l'aria che respiravi poco tempo fa
The air, the air that you breathed a little while ago
Ha ancora il suo profumo
It still has its perfume
Di cose vere, di cose pure, di libertà
Of true things, of pure things, of liberty
Oh no, non domandarti dove, come
Oh no, don't ask yourself where, how
Come trascinerai la vita tua
How you will drag your life
Con chi, con chi cancellerai il tuo nome
With whom, with whom will you cancel your name
Per chi
For whom
"Due etti di prosciutto"
"Two hundred grams of ham"
"Sì, signora
"Yes, ma'am
È ancora a letto con la febbre il suo bambino?
Is her child still in bed with a fever?
Che peccato, vuole anche il formaggino?"
"What a shame, does he also want the cheese?"
La vita dietro un banco a costruire
Life behind a counter building
Un avvenire che le possa dare
A future that can give her
La sicurezza, un'auto, qualcosa da invidiare
Security, a car, something to envy
L'avrai
You'll have it
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
You will have it, you will have it with enthusiasm and love
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
You will have it, but you don't know the price you will have to pay
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
Run away, flee and save something within you
E non lasciarli fare
And don't let them do it
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
Don't become a man to burn
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Renato Fiacchini, Piero Pintucci, Giulio Rapetti Mogol
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind