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.
Immi Ruah
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nei miei passi e dentro i miei sandali c'è
Ogni amico che incontrerai
Nei miei sogni e nelle mie lacrime c'è
E qualunque sentimento vivrai
In qualunque deserto sognerai di bere
Sempre più ti convincerai
Che nel profondo poi non sei distante da me
Nel tuo cuore e nella tua anima c'è
Ogni nome che porterò
Nel tuo tempo e dentro i tuoi simboli c'è
E qualunque fuoco tu accenderai
Con qualunque rito salverò me stesso
Giorno dopo giorno lo sai
Stiamo cercando solamente amore
Immi ruah immi ruah abbracciami
Immi ruah immi ruah raggiungimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non difenderti
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
Immi ruah immi ruah ascoltami
Immi ruah immi ruah pretendimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non escludermi
Siamo figli di un colore solo
In un mondo impossibile
Per noi
Fermati qui
Ogni legge che incontrerai
Nei miei occhi e nella mia origine c'è
Ogni brivido che inseguirò
Nei tuoi sensi e dentro i tuoi brividi c'è
E qualunque velo tu indosserai
Qualunque animale non potrai mangiare
Sempre più mi convincerò
Che quel che cerco non ha mai bandiere
Immi ruah immi ruah abbracciami
Immi ruah immi ruah raggiungimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non difenderti
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
Immi ruah immi ruah ascoltami
Immi ruah immi ruah pretendimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non escludermi
Siamo figli di un colore solo
Non cercare lontano l'amore che hai nel cuore
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
Immi ruah immi ruah abbracciami
Immi ruah immi ruah raggiungimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non difenderti
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
Immi ruah immi ruah ascoltami
Immi ruah immi ruah pretendimi
Immi ruah immi ruah non escludermi
Siamo figli di un colore solo
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Siamo figli di un colore solo
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
In un mondo possibile
(Grazie a etciuuu per questo testo)
In Renato Zero's song "Immi Ruah," the lyrics speak to the idea that no matter where we go or what we do, we are all connected through our experiences and emotions. Each road we will take, each friend we will encounter, and each feeling we will experience already exists in the footsteps of others who have gone before us. The singer also suggests that every home they will inhabit is already present in the hearts and minds of others, connected through a shared human experience. The call to action in the song is to embrace one another, to stop defending ourselves, and to understand that we are all one people under the same sky. The phrase "Immi Ruah" is a Hebrew expression meaning "spirit of God" or "breath of life."
The lyrics of "Immi Ruah" are rich with metaphor and religious undertones. The idea of every road, friend, feeling, and house being present in the footsteps, dreams, tears, and hearts of others suggests a universal connection that transcends time and space. The singer's suggestion that consuming certain animals or wearing certain veils is irrelevant to the deeper spiritual connection we all share suggests a criticism of superficial societal norms and an emphasis on the importance of finding love and acceptance across cultural and religious differences. The repetition of "Immi Ruah" throughout the song evokes the sacred nature of this connection between people and the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
Ogni strada che cercherai
Every path you will seek
Nei miei passi e dentro i miei sandali c'è
In my steps and in my sandals there is
Ogni amico che incontrerai
Every friend you will meet
Nei miei sogni e nelle mie lacrime c'è
In my dreams and in my tears there is
E qualunque sentimento vivrai
And whatever feeling you will live
In qualunque deserto sognerai di bere
In whatever desert you will dream of drinking
Sempre più ti convincerai
More and more you will convince yourself
Che nel profondo poi non sei distante da me
That deep down you are not far from me
Ogni casa che abiterò
Every house I will live in
Nel tuo cuore e nella tua anima c'è
In your heart and in your soul there is
Ogni nome che porterò
Every name I will bear
Nel tuo tempo e dentro i tuoi simboli c'è
In your time and in your symbols there is
E qualunque fuoco tu accenderai
And whatever fire you will ignite
Con qualunque rito salverò me stesso
With whatever ritual I will save myself
Giorno dopo giorno lo sai
Day after day, you know
Stiamo cercando solamente amore
We are only searching for love
Immi ruah immi ruah abbracciami
Immi ruah immi ruah embrace me
Immi ruah immi ruah raggiungimi
Immi ruah immi ruah reach me
Immi ruah immi ruah non difenderti
Immi ruah immi ruah don't defend yourself
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
We are all under this sky
Immi ruah immi ruah ascoltami
Immi ruah immi ruah listen to me
Immi ruah immi ruah pretendimi
Immi ruah immi ruah pretend me
Immi ruah immi ruah non escludermi
Immi ruah immi ruah don't exclude me
Siamo figli di un colore solo
We are children of only one color
In un mondo impossibile
In an impossible world
Fermati qui
Stop here
Ogni legge che incontrerai
Every law you will encounter
Nei miei occhi e nella mia origine c'è
In my eyes and in my origin there is
Ogni brivido che inseguirò
Every thrill I will chase
Nei tuoi sensi e dentro i tuoi brividi c'è
In your senses and inside your shivers there is
E qualunque velo tu indosserai
And whatever veil you will wear
Qualunque animale non potrai mangiare
Whatever animal you won't be able to eat
Sempre più mi convincerò
More and more I will convince myself
Che quel che cerco non ha mai bandiere
That what I'm searching for never has flags
Non cercare lontano l'amore che hai nel cuore
Don't look far for the love you have in your heart
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Siamo figli di un colore solo
We are children of only one color
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah non difenderti
Immi ruah immi ruah don't defend yourself
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
We are all under this sky
Immi ruah immi ruah ascoltami
Immi ruah immi ruah listen to me
Immi ruah immi ruah pretendimi
Immi ruah immi ruah pretend me
Immi ruah immi ruah non escludermi
Immi ruah immi ruah don't exclude me
Siamo figli di un colore solo
We are children of only one color
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Immi ruah immi ruah
Siamo tutti sotto questo cielo
We are all under this sky
In un mondo possibile
In a possible world
Contributed by Kaelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.