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.
Frenesia
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ti perderò al semaforo, se mai…
O sparirai nel traffico.
In quel su e giù caotico.
Oppure nel computer sparirai,
Cercando di competere, con lui!
Chissà, se è giusto correre…
Frenetica mania…
Io tento di raggiungerti, però…
Dov'è che sei diretto, io non so!
La vita ci sorpasserà, cosi.
E dopo tanto correre, noi qui…
Poi soli e malinconici.
Perché tanti chilometri ?
Nella confusione, com'è facile talvolta perdersi…
Gente! Dove vai ?
Gente, ti dissolverai nel fumo…
Occhi che ti cercano…e vorrebbero tornare, a crederti…
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) troviamo un modo di capirci!
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) e sarà bello ritrovarci …
Qua! Come un tempo seduti al bar.
Al bar!
A parlare dei dispiaceri…
Di com'eri, e com'ero io!!!
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) è tanto che non stiamo insieme…
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) un altro whisky cameriere!
Qua…proprio nulla è cambiato, qua…
Chissà…
Forse è colpa di questa fretta…
Dammi retta, scendiamo qua!!
Shock! Schizofrenia!
Ingoia un'altra pillola… e cosi sia!
E' facile confondersi,
Escludersi o nascondersi…
Fermarsi un po' a riflettere, che idea!
Perché non sia più Hiroshima o Corea…
Un uomo avrà i suoi limiti…
Parliamone! Dai, siediti!
Un uomo senza più emozioni, quanto tempo può resistere…
Imprigionato qua.
In questo inferno di città. Da solo.
Si domanda e si risponde. Ripensando a quell'amore ha un brivido!
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) è colpa del progresso. E' vero!
Vuoi fermarti o no ?
(coro) senza di noi, dov'è il futuro ?
Al bar! Il futuro è seduto al bar, e noi…
Rilassati, senza più' fretta.
Discutiamo il futuro al bar!!!
Fermati!
The song "Frenesia" by Renato Zero is a reflection of the fast-paced life that we lead in the modern world. The lyrics express the sense of confusion and loss that comes with trying to keep up with the never-ending race that life has become. The song starts with the lines "Frenetico, via vai... Ti perderò al semaforo, se mai", which translate to "Hectic, coming and going... I'll lose you at the traffic light, if ever". These lines express the reality of how easy it is to lose someone in the hectic nature of life, in the chaos of coming and going.
The lyrics go on to describe the various ways in which one can disappear - in the traffic, in the computer or in the confusion of life. The song talks about the frenzy that we all seem to be caught up in, the mania that drives us to push ourselves beyond our limits. The chorus of the song emphasizes the need to stop, to find a way to understand each other, and to slow down. The lines "Vuoi fermarti o no? (Do you want to stop or not?)... Qua! Come un tempo seduti al bar (Here! Like old times, sitting at the bar)... A parlare dei dispiaceri (Talking about our sorrows)... Vuoi fermarti o no? (Do you want to stop or not?)... E sarà bello ritrovarci (And it will be lovely to find each other again)" express the desire to take a break from the fast-paced life and reconnect with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Frenetico, via vai...
Frantic, back and forth... I'll lose you at the traffic light, if ever... Or you'll disappear in the traffic. In that chaotic up and down. Or perhaps you'll disappear in the computer, trying to compete with it! Who knows, if it's right to hurry... Frantic mania... Pushing the revs to the max, you're off! I try to catch up with you, but... Where are you headed, I don't know! Life will pass us by, like this. And after running so much, we'll end up here... Then alone and melancholic. Why so many kilometers? In the confusion, how easy it is sometimes to get lost... People! Where are you going? People, you'll dissolve in smoke... Eyes that seek you and would like to believe you again... Do you want to stop or not?
(chorus) Let's find a way to understand each other!
Do you want to stop or not? (chorus) And it will be beautiful to find each other again... Here! Like we used to sit at the bar. At the bar! Talking about our sorrows... About how you were, and how I was!!! Do you want to stop or not? (chorus) It's been so long since we've been together... Do you want to stop or not? (chorus) Another whiskey, waiter! Here... nothing has really changed, here... Who knows... Maybe it's this hurry's fault... Trust me, let's get off here!!
Shock! Schizophrenia!
Shock! Schizophrenia! Swallow another pill... and so be it! It's easy to get confused, exclude or hide... Stop and reflect for a moment, what an idea! So that it's not Hiroshima or Korea anymore... A man has his limits... Let's talk about it! Come on, sit down! How long can a man without emotions resist? Trapped here. In this hell of a city. Alone. He asks questions and answers them, shuddering as he thinks back to that love!
Do you want to stop or not?
Do you want to stop or not? (chorus) It's progress's fault. It's true! Do you want to stop or not? (chorus) Without us, where is the future? At the bar! The future is sitting at the bar, and we... Relaxed, without hurry. Let's discuss the future at the bar!!! Stop!
Contributed by Stella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.