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.
Il Tuo Safari
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non ti piangerò. No! No! No!
Non mi pongo il problema,
Se sia giusto o no.
Mi ero perso altre volte,
Per le tue follie…
Donna,
Ti servivo a qualcosa ?
Dentro quella tua pelle, che animale c'è,
Hai trovato qualcuno, bestia più di te.
Il safari continua, anche senza di me.
Sono libero e allora..
Vivo…vivo.
Quanti altri occhi,
Altre mani, altre idee
Ti faranno sentire
Una donna.
Quante altre volte ti vergognerai,
Per il fatto di come sei donna,
Mentre il profumo del sogno che sai,
S'è perso come fumo,
Fumo. Aria, aria.
T'ho perduta per strada,
Non ti piangerò. No, no!
Non mi pongo il problema,
Se sia giusto o no!…
Mi ero perso altre volte, per le tue follie,
Donna,
Ti servivo a qualcosa,
Dillo. Dillo…
Quanti altri occhi altre mani altre idee,
Ti faranno sentire
Una donna.
Quante altre volte ti vergognerai,
Per il fatto di come sei donna,
Mentre il profumo del sogno che sai,
Si perde come fumo,
Fumo.
Caccia, caccia.
È il tuo safari,
Caccia
The song "Il Tuo Safari" by Renato Zero seems to be about a man who has lost a woman he cared about, but he isn't going to mourn her. He doesn't care whether it was right or wrong to lose her, and he calls into question whether he was needed in her life or even benefitted her in any way. The singer has been lost himself before because of the woman's whims, and he wonders what kind of animal could be found inside her. He suggests that she may have found someone more wild than herself, but his safari will continue without her. The singer claims to be free now that he's on his own, and he will live his life as he pleases.
The chorus of the song repeats the questions about how many other eyes, hands, and ideas will make the woman feel like a woman again. The singer recognizes that she will probably still feel ashamed at times for being a woman, especially as the scent of her dream is lost like smoke in the air. The song ends with the repeated idea of a hunt, urging the woman to continue her own personal safari.
Line by Line Meaning
T'ho perduta per strada,
I lost you on the way,
Non ti piangerò. No! No! No!
I won't cry for you. No! No! No!
Non mi pongo il problema,
I don't worry about,
Se sia giusto o no.
Whether it's right or wrong.
Mi ero perso altre volte,
I had lost my way before,
Per le tue follie…
Because of your craziness…
Donna,
Woman,
Ti servivo a qualcosa ?
Did I serve any purpose to you?
Dillo. Parla!
Tell me. Speak!
Dentro quella tua pelle, che animale c'è,
What kind of animal lies beneath your skin,
Hai trovato qualcuno, bestia più di te.
Have you found someone more beastly than yourself.
Il safari continua, anche senza di me.
The safari continues, even without me.
Sono libero e allora..
I'm free and therefore..
Vivo…vivo.
I live…I live.
Quanti altri occhi,
How many other eyes,
Altre mani, altre idee
Other hands, other ideas
Ti faranno sentire
Will make you feel
Una donna.
Like a woman.
Quante altre volte ti vergognerai,
How many more times will you be ashamed,
Per il fatto di come sei donna,
Of the fact that you are a woman,
Mentre il profumo del sogno che sai,
While the scent of the dream you know,
S'è perso come fumo,
Disappears like smoke,
Fumo. Aria, aria.
Smoke. Air, air.
T'ho perduta per strada,
I lost you on the way,
Non ti piangerò. No, no!
I won't cry for you. No, no!
Non mi pongo il problema,
I don't worry about,
Se sia giusto o no!…
Whether it's right or wrong!…
Mi ero perso altre volte, per le tue follie,
I had lost my way before, because of your craziness,
Donna,
Woman,
Ti servivo a qualcosa,
Did I serve any purpose to you,
Dillo. Dillo…
Tell me. Tell me…
Quanti altri occhi altre mani altre idee,
How many other eyes, other hands, other ideas,
Ti faranno sentire
Will make you feel
Una donna.
Like a woman.
Quante altre volte ti vergognerai,
How many more times will you be ashamed,
Per il fatto di come sei donna,
Of the fact that you are a woman,
Mentre il profumo del sogno che sai,
While the scent of the dream you know,
Si perde come fumo,
Disappears like smoke,
Fumo.
Smoke.
Caccia,caccia.
Hunt, hunt.
È il tuo safari,
It's your safari,
Caccia
Hunt.
Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.