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 facciata
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Da stagioni e venti
Ammaccata per i sentimenti…
Gli eventi…
Un amico va,
Qualcun altro torna…
Chi credevi onesto è una carogna!
Questa facciata
Ma più di tanto,
Ingannarti non può…
Puoi fare il punto
Di quello che è stato,
Il sole ha già bruciato e
La pioggia che è passata su di te…
Signore si, davvero un signore,
E più è potente, più infido è.
Quanti segreti
Fra quattro pareti.
Signore, io non ci giurerei!
L'esterno tiene, si,
Basterà un sorriso
E una mano di colore
Più acceso…
Sul viso!
Ma non sai
Le coordinate della vita mia,
Per ogni storia andata in gloria e via,
Perché ogni ruga
Ha un nome
Ch'io soltanto so
E a stento nascondo…
Che ne sai
Se quel che appare è quel che credi tu
O non piuttosto un bel sipario blu.
Con dietro un uomo che non ha smaltito
Le vecchie ferite…
Le antiche offese …Ma Si!
Le sento qui!
E la facciate
Che vuole la gente,
Quella che il mondo
Pretende da te…
Ma basta un niente,
E l'intonaco cede…
E dietro la facciata, che c'è ?!
Non lo sai,
Treni perduti o non partiti mai,
Fantasmi di un'infanzia che vorrei
Dimenticare ad ogni costo ma poi
Il tempo non basta…
Non lo sai
Che mai c'è dietro e chi nasconderai!
Vecchie passioni
Stanche ipocrisie
Coscienze logore
Nel fingersi così
Così immacolate
In Renato Zero's song La facciata, we see a facade that has been weathered and dented by feelings, events and time. The lyricist describes how even the most honest people can be deceiving, hiding their true selves behind a front. The singer tells the listener that they can make a tally of their past experiences, but that the sun and rain have already taken their toll. The more powerful someone is, the more devious they can be. Behind closed doors, there are secrets that the singer would not swear to, and a life that can't be measured by what is seen on the surface. The facade can be maintained with a smile and makeup, but the singer knows that they alone bear the burden of the scars they carry. The song highlights the importance of not judging a book by its cover and that everything is not what it seems.
Line by Line Meaning
È scrostata un po'
The facade has started peeling a bit
Da stagioni e venti
Due to the seasons and winds
Ammaccata per i sentimenti…
Banged up because of emotions
Gli eventi…
The events
Un amico va,
A friend leaves
Qualcun altro torna…
Someone else returns
Chi credevi onesto è una carogna!
Those you believed to be honest are actually scoundrels!
Questa facciata
This facade
Nasconde una vita,
Hides a life
Ma più di tanto,
But not too much
Ingannarti non può…
It cannot deceive you too much
Puoi fare il punto
You can take stock
Di quello che è stato,
Of what has been
Il sole ha già bruciato e
The sun has already burnt
La pioggia che è passata su di te…
The rain that has passed over you
Signore si, davvero un signore,
Yes, truly a gentleman
E più è potente, più infido è.
And the more powerful, the more insidious
Quanti segreti
How many secrets
Fra quattro pareti.
Within four walls
Signore, io non ci giurerei!
Sir, I wouldn't swear it!
L'esterno tiene, si,
The exterior holds up, yes
Basterà un sorriso
A smile will suffice
E una mano di colore
And a colorful hand
Più acceso…
More vivid
Sul viso!
On the face!
Ma non sai
But you don't know
Le coordinate della vita mia,
The coordinates of my life
Per ogni storia andata in gloria e via,
For every story that ended well or just ended
Perché ogni ruga
Because every wrinkle
Ha un nome
Has a name
Ch'io soltanto so
That only I know
E a stento nascondo…
And I can barely hide it
Che ne sai
What do you know
Se quel che appare è quel che credi tu
If what appears is what you believe
O non piuttosto un bel sipario blu.
Or rather a beautiful blue curtain.
Con dietro un uomo che non ha smaltito
With a man behind who has not recovered
Le vecchie ferite…
The old wounds
Le antiche offese
The ancient offenses
Ma Si!
But yes!
Le sento qui!
I feel them here!
E la facciate
And the facade
Che vuole la gente,
That people want
Quella che il mondo
That which the world
Pretende da te…
Expects from you
Ma basta un niente,
But it takes just a little
E l'intonaco cede…
And the plaster crumbles
E dietro la facciata, che c'è ?!
And behind the facade, what is there?!
Non lo sai,
You don't know
Treni perduti o non partiti mai,
Trains lost or that never left
Fantasmi di un'infanzia che vorrei
Ghosts of a childhood that I would like
Dimenticare ad ogni costo ma poi
To forget at all costs, but then
Il tempo non basta…
Time is not enough
Non lo sai
You don't know
Che mai c'è dietro e chi nasconderai!
What is behind and who you will conceal!
Vecchie passioni
Old passions
Stanche ipocrisie
Tired hypocrisies
Coscienze logore
Worn-out consciences
Nel fingersi così
In pretending to be so
Così immacolate
So immaculate
Contributed by Mackenzie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salvatore Prestia
Questa facciata nasconde una vita..Quanto è attuale questa canzone senza tempo..E non passerà mai di moda in questo mondo di maschere di ipocrisie..È LA FACCIATA che vuole la gente..Ciao ni!
Boris Genovese
Quanto è difficile essere persone vere oggi come oggi !!!
L'intonaco è fresco, la vernice brillante, ma all'interno si cela la nuda verità della gente !!!
mino patierno
Renato,una sola parola"Unico!"
luciano lubrano
Il ritratto della nostra società che indossa maschere e vive nell'ipocrisia...è la facciata che vuole la gente, quella che il mondo pretende da te...STUPENDA!
canzianborsetta333
Renato Zero dovrebbe ritornare a cantare le canzoni contenute in Via Tagliamento per trasmettere la sua autenticità e la sua poeticità più vera
Gino P.
Per me va benissimo cosi...
Filippo Marengo 500
Anch’io lo penso!! 😍😍😍🙏🙏
Zerolino64
Un'altra perla di Renato!
Ezio Franzi
Non ci sono parole
Renato mi hai salvato la vita nel 1981
Ezio Franzi
Ho voluto riascoltare questa magnifica canzone
È stupenda
Bravo Renato