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.
La canzone di Marinella
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Che scivolò nel fiume a primavera
Ma il vento che la vide così bella
Dal fiume la portò sopra una stella
Sola senza il ricordo di un dolore
Vivevi senza il sogno di un amore
Ma un re senza corona e senza scorta
Bussò tre volte un giorno alla tua porta
Come l'amore rosso il suo mantello
Tu lo seguisti senza una ragione
Come un ragazzo segue l'aquilone
E c'era il sole e avevi gli occhi belli
Lui ti baciò le labbra ed i capelli
C'era la luna e avevi gli occhi stanchi
Lui pose le sue mani sui tuoi fianchi
Furono baci e furono sorrisi
Poi furono soltanto i fiordalisi
Che videro con gli occhi delle stelle
Fremere al vento e ai baci la tua pelle
Dicono poi che mentre ritornavi
Nel fiume chissà come scivolavi
E lui che non ti volle creder morta
Bussò cent'anni ancora alla tua porta
Questa è la tua canzone Marinella
Che sei volata in cielo su una stella
E come tutte le più belle cose
Vivesti solo un giorno come le rose
E come tutte le più belle cose
Vivesti solo un giorno come le rose
The lyrics to Renato Zero's song La canzone di Marinella tells the story of a woman named Marinella who fell into a river during spring. However, the wind that saw her beauty carried her above a star. She lived alone without any trace of pain and without dreaming of love. But one day, an unaccompanied king came to her door and kissed her. They shared kisses and smiles, then only the flowers saw her quiver under his touch. It is said that she fell into the river again after returning home, but he never believed that she died. He knocked on her door again and again for centuries after their brief encounter.
The song speaks of a tragic but beautiful love story that lasted for only a moment. Marinella's brief encounter with the king could be interpreted as an allegory for the fleetingness and fragility of love. Throughout the lyrics, Marinella is portrayed as a beautiful but fragile figure, who lasted only for a brief moment in time. The king could also be interpreted as a representation of death, who took Marinella away.
Line by Line Meaning
Questa di Marinella è la storia vera
This is the true story of Marinella
Che scivolò nel fiume a primavera
Who slipped into the river in the spring
Ma il vento che la vide così bella
But the wind that saw her so beautiful
Dal fiume la portò sopra una stella
Carried her from the river on a star
Sola senza il ricordo di un dolore
Alone without the memory of a pain
Vivevi senza il sogno di un amore
Living without the dream of love
Ma un re senza corona e senza scorta
But a king without crown and without escort
Bussò tre volte un giorno alla tua porta
Knocked three times on your door one day
Bianco come la luna è il suo cappello
His hat is white like the moon
Come l'amore rosso il suo mantello
His cloak is red like love
Tu lo seguisti senza una ragione
You followed him without a reason
Come un ragazzo segue l'aquilone
Like a boy follows a kite
E c'era il sole e avevi gli occhi belli
And there was the sun and you had beautiful eyes
Lui ti baciò le labbra ed i capelli
He kissed your lips and your hair
C'era la luna e avevi gli occhi stanchi
There was the moon and you had tired eyes
Lui pose le sue mani sui tuoi fianchi
He placed his hands on your hips
Furono baci e furono sorrisi
There were kisses and there were smiles
Poi furono soltanto i fiordalisi
Then there were only bluebells
Che videro con gli occhi delle stelle
Who saw with the eyes of stars
Fremere al vento e ai baci la tua pelle
Trembling in the wind and kisses on your skin
Dicono poi che mentre ritornavi
They say that while you were returning
Nel fiume chissà come scivolavi
You slipped in the river, who knows how
E lui che non ti volle creder morta
And he who didn't want to believe you were dead
Bussò cent'anni ancora alla tua porta
Knocked on your door a hundred more years
Questa è la tua canzone Marinella
This is your song, Marinella
Che sei volata in cielo su una stella
Who flew to heaven on a star
E come tutte le più belle cose
And like all the most beautiful things
Vivesti solo un giorno come le rose
You lived only one day like the roses
E come tutte le più belle cose
And like all the most beautiful things
Vivesti solo un giorno come le rose
You lived only one day like the roses
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.