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.
Gente
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Facce mute vite spente,
Sentimenti disperati,
Soffocati dallo smog…
Gente,
Un polmone che respira,
Fra un orgasmo e una rapina,
Fra immondizia e travel cheque…
È qualunque,
Ma inebriante,
Che ti insulta e poi si pente,
E serpente tornerà …
Chi ti sfiora, chi va..
Chi pretesti non ha.
Ma se il semaforo è rosso,
Se mai rallenti il tuo passo,
Quanta fretta che hai,
Dove vai ? Cosa fai ?!
Telefona al tuo destino,
Se è occupato, sbloccarlo puoi,
Sulle pagine gialle un nome,
L'occasione catturerai…
Gente,
Disillusa, merce spesa,
In catene di montaggio,
Fra una tratta e un pagherò.
Gente,
Quanta gente, che non sente…
Meccanismi arrugginiti,
Nel gran mucchio accatastati,
Per l'usura o per l'età…
Vieni fuori da li,
Basta tu dica " SI ".
E poi dammi la mano, se no, noi due ci perdiamo.
Nell'anonimo bar,
Anche tu sei una star.
Racconta la tua storia, e qualcuno ti ascolterà.
Metti un ponte fra te e la gente,
Un sorriso, se mai non c'è.
Che bella gente!!!
Ti piace la gente ?!?!
Ti fa soffrire, la gente!!!
Quanta gente intorno a te…
Dentro te!!!
Renato Zero's song "Gente" talks about the concept of the urban society and how people are disconnected from their emotions, buried under the daily routine and problems. The song starts with "Gente, Facce mute vite spente," which translates to "People, muted faces and extinguished lives," representing the decay of human emotions and the difficulty to express oneself genuinely in society. The second verse highlights the contrast between the nature and beauty of the world and the events happening around us. "Gente, Un polmone che respira, Fra un orgasmo e una rapina, Fra immondizia e travel cheque," is "People, a lung that breathes, Between an orgasm and a robbery, Between garbage and travel checks," portrays how people are entrapped in the consumeristic world, the quest for fleeting pleasures and the corruption of the world.
The chorus of the song encourages people to break the chains and create meaningful relationships with others. "Vieni fuori da li, Basta tu dica " SI ". E poi dammi la mano, se no, noi due ci perdiamo," is "Come out of there, just say YES. And then give me your hand, otherwise, we will lose each other," urging people to come out of their isolated worlds and connect with each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Gente,
People,
Facce mute vite spente,
Silent faces, wasted lives,
Sentimenti disperati,
Desperate feelings,
Soffocati dallo smog...
Choking in smog...
Gente,
People,
Un polmone che respira,
A lung that breathes,
Fra un orgasmo e una rapina,
Between an orgasm and a robbery,
Fra immondizia e travel cheque...
Between garbage and travel checks...
Gente,
People,
È qualunque,
Is anyone,
Ma inebriante,
But intoxicating,
Che ti insulta e poi si pente,
That insults you and then repents,
E serpente tornerà...
And the serpent will return...
Chi ti sfiora, chi va..
Who touches you, who goes...
Chi pretesti non ha.
Who has no excuses.
Ma se il semaforo è rosso,
But if the traffic light is red,
Se mai rallenti il tuo passo,
If you ever slow down your pace,
Quanta fretta che hai,
How much haste you have,
Dove vai ? Cosa fai ?!
Where are you going? What are you doing?!
Telefona al tuo destino,
Call your destiny,
Se è occupato, sbloccarlo puoi,
If it's busy, you can unlock it,
Sulle pagine gialle un nome,
A name in the yellow pages,
L'occasione catturerai...
You will seize the opportunity...
Gente,
People,
Disillusa, merce spesa,
Disillusioned, spent goods,
In catene di montaggio,
On assembly lines,
Fra una tratta e un pagherò.
Between a shift and a paycheck.
Gente,
People,
Quanta gente, che non sente...
So many people who don't feel...
Meccanismi arrugginiti,
Rusty mechanisms,
Nel gran mucchio accatastati,
Piled up in a great heap,
Per l'usura o per l'età...
Due to wear and tear or age...
Vieni fuori da li,
Come out of there,
Basta tu dica ' SI '.
Just say 'YES'.
E poi dammi la mano, se no, noi due ci perdiamo.
Then give me your hand, otherwise, we'll lose ourselves.
Nell'anonimo bar,
In the anonymous bar,
Anche tu sei una star.
You are also a star.
Racconta la tua storia, e qualcuno ti ascolterà.
Tell your story, and someone will listen to you.
Metti un ponte fra te e la gente,
Build a bridge between you and people,
Un sorriso, se mai non c'è.
A smile, if there isn't one.
Che bella gente!!!
What a beautiful people!!!
Ti piace la gente ?!?!
Do you like people?!?!
Ti fa soffrire, la gente!!!
People make you suffer!!!
Quanta gente intorno a te...
So many people around you...
Dentro te!!!
Inside of you!!!
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Il figlio dei cantautori venduti
Una delle perle che il pubblico che riempie i palazzetti non conosce. Immensa Evangelisti.
L'ho ascoltata oggi a distanza di anni e faccio un'immensa fatica ad affiancare lo Zero che fu con lo Zero che è.
MARIA MURA
Meravigliosa come tutte le sue poesie. .........Grande💜💜
Custanten
Uno degli LP più belli di Renato. Allora si chiamavano così...
robymn
Il suo capolavoro ASSOLUTO 💪🎼❤️
Chiara Teruzzi
MITICO RENATO ...FA PARTE DELLA MIA ADOLESCENZA E DELLA MIA VITA...TUTT OGGI QUANDO SONO GIÙ...IO ASCOLTO RENATO E SORRIDO E POI RITORNA PER MAGIA L ARCOBALENO....GRANDE RENATO!!!!
Zerolino64
Stupenda questa canzone...
Renato è immenso!
david simonetti
La mia preferita dopo "La favola Mia, 1978"...Stupenda !
Giorgio Ferrucci
Dolci ricordi di un periodo irripetibile e che purtroppo non ho assaporato a fondo a causa della mia smania di fare,di avere di piu'.Ora rimpiango tanti amici che non ci sono piu'. Rivoglio la mia 126 bianca! Giorgio
Carmelo Ventimiglia
in quattro minuti racchiude generazioni passate presenti future questo e un Capolavoro senza Tempo Grazie Grande Renato FOREVERRRRR!!!!!!!!
Massimo Black
Un altra delle innumerevoli canzoni che amo del grande Renato. Tra l altro questo Lp e' uno dei piu belli