Renato Zero is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini (born September 30, 1950)… Read Full Bio ↴Renato Zero is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini (born September 30, 1950), an Italian singer-songwriter and showman.

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.

Fermati
Renato Zero Lyrics

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Distratto amore, vai
Malato dei segreti tuoi

Muori e rinasci, quando vuoi, se vuoi
Negli occhi della gente
Che non sente
Gente delusa
Gente, che non sa chi sei

Per quale strada vai
In quale uomo abiterai
Distratto amore andrai
Sempre in cerca di un alibi
Fermati

Nelle mani, senza scrupoli
Da chi paga per conoscerti
In chi non sa più difendersi
Da chi sceglie un corpo all'anima
Fermati

Fra i pensieri troppo fragili
Nelle fiale troppo complici
Nei sorrisi troppo ironici
Nella troppa solitudine
Amore, che ne sai

Dov'è finita l'allegria
Dove non c'è speranza, un dio muore
Nelle corsie occupate
Dal dolore
Nelle prigioni

Fra pareti di follia
Fermati

Overall Meaning

The song "Fermati" by Renato Zero talks about distracted love, a love that is sick with secrets. The lyrics touch upon a range of themes such as the fleeting nature of life, the search for love and identity, the corrupting power of money, and the fragility of the human condition. The song highlights the contrast between those who live life for the sake of living, and those who are lost in their search for meaning and purpose.

The lyrics suggest that the love being described is struggling to find a place in a world that is empty and lacking in genuine connections. The repeated phrase "Fermati" (stop) serves as a plea for the distracted love to come to a standstill and reflect on its place in the world. The song seems to suggest that one can find meaning and purpose in life by stopping and recognizing the beauty, pain, and complexity of the world.

Overall, the song is a poignant and insightful reflection on the nature of love and the human condition. It is a call to stop and take stock of one's life, to look beyond the distractions of the world, and to embrace life in all its complexities.

Line by Line Meaning

Distratto amore, vai
You're like a distracted love, always on the move

Malato dei segreti tuoi
Sick with your own secrets

Muori e rinasci, quando vuoi, se vuoi
You die and are reborn, whenever you want, if you want

Negli occhi della gente
In the eyes of the people

Che non sente
Who don't feel

Gente delusa
Disappointed people

Gente, che non sa chi sei
People who don't know who you are

Per quale strada vai
Which path are you taking

In quale uomo abiterai
In which man will you dwell

Distratto amore andrai
Your distracted love will go

Sempre in cerca di un alibi
Always looking for an excuse