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 gente come noi
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Non può fermarsi mai…
Ha fame di cambiare,
Ha più di un cuore. Ha fantasia!
La gente come noi,
Si beve all'osteria,
Si sposa con la notte,
E ha una gran voglia di andar via!
Perché: è sana, è forte e fa l'amore,
Anche senza fortuna ce la fa…
Di sogni ne vivrà,
Sfidando la realtà. Rischiando!
La gente come noi,
Si arrangia come può.
Divide un dispiacere,
Non ti dice mai di no!
La gente come noi,
Accettala così…
Selvaggia ed intrigante
Ma, meravigliosamente gente!
Questa mia gente,
E' gente, che ha tutto e niente!
Libera gente,
Che voli. Che sei dovunque
La gente come noi, ti stupirà…
Se vuoi fare casino, lei ci sta,
Combatterà la morte al fianco tuo,
Questa mia gente è davvero grande…
Va avanti e non si arrende!
Più la combatterai
Più si difenderà…
Non sai tu, questa gente,
Quante risorse ha!
E mentre tutto, intorno cambierà…
La gente come noi, è sempre la stessa.
Sorride, e ancora si commuoverà
Gente senza età. Che sa d'eternità, che gente!!!
Viva la gente!
Gente, tu sei importante!
Gente, da strada!…
Gente, che il mondo sfida!
Lei, non ha prezzo e non si venderà…
Se vuoi essergli accanto, ebbene sia!
Ma non provare a tradirla mai…
Non se ne trova facilmente di… gente come noi!!!
Se un amore sfiorirà…
Se un amico se ne andrà…
Fra gente come noi,
Tu non sarai da solo … mai!!!!
The song "La gente come noi" by Renato Zero depicts a community of people who are unique, and cannot be easily defined or categorized. The very first line of the song itself, "La gente come noi, non può fermarsi mai" (People like us, cannot stop ever) already represents these people as being restless, always moving forward and changing. These people are hungry for change, they have more than one heart, and a lot of imagination. They are the type who would hang out at an osteria (small tavern), marry the night, and have a great desire to leave. Renato Zero sings that the people like him are not the ones who die, they are strong, healthy and can make love without fortune, and they can live on their dreams even if it means taking risks and challenging reality. These people are resourceful, and will do anything to survive, they will share their sorrows, and will never turn anyone away.
The chorus of the song repeatedly highlights these unique people, who do not die and keep moving forward, accepting themselves as being wild and fascinating. They are free to fly, and can be found anywhere. In the second verse, Renato Zero sings about the people similar to him who can fight death alongside and fight for what they believe in, they are considerable and powerful. They won't surrender, they will fight back and become even stronger, as they have the strength and the resilience to bounce back. These people may encounter adversity, but they have a lot of resources that they can use when they need them.
In the final verse, Renato Zero personifies these people as being timeless, and that they don't age but convey the feeling of immortality. They may experience love, lose loves or even friends, but they know that they will never be alone. The song enunciates that these unique people will stick together if one should fall, they will always have the support of the community like them. Overall, Renato Zero depicts these people as unique, resourceful, and powerful, and they treasure their community the most.
Line by Line Meaning
La gente come noi,
This is a group of individuals who are highly driven and can't stop striving for more in their lives.
Non può fermarsi mai…
They can't be stopped or held back, always pushing forward.
Ha fame di cambiare,
They have a hunger to transform their lives and the world around them.
Ha più di un cuore. Ha fantasia!
They have more than one heart, meaning they are passionate and creative in all they do.
Si beve all'osteria,
They enjoy socializing and are often found at bars or pubs.
Si sposa con la notte,
They are creatures of the night, often working or creating during late hours.
E ha una gran voglia di andar via!
They have a strong desire to travel and experience the world beyond their current surroundings.
Non muore mai!
This is a group of strong, resilient people who never give up and continue to thrive.
Perché: è sana, è forte e fa l'amore,
They are healthy and robust individuals who are full of passion.
Anche senza fortuna ce la fa…
Even without luck on their side, they have the strength and drive to achieve their goals.
Di sogni ne vivrà,
They live their dreams, taking chances and pushing boundaries.
Sfidando la realtà. Rischiando!
They challenge reality and take risks to make their dreams a reality.
Si arrangia come può.
They make the best of what they have and are resourceful in many situations.
Divide un dispiacere,
They come together and share difficult times with friends and family.
Non ti dice mai di no!
They are always willing to lend a helping hand and never say no to someone in need.
Accettala così…
This is a group of people who should be accepted for who they are, with all their unique quirks and qualities.
Selvaggia ed intrigante
They have a wild and fascinating nature that draws people in.
Ma, meravigliosamente gente!
But they are wonderfully human and full of life.
Questa mia gente,
This is a group of people I know well and have come to appreciate.
E' gente, che ha tutto e niente!
They are people who have everything they need in life, but also understand the value of nothingness.
Libera gente,
These are free people, unencumbered by the restrictions of conventional society.
Che voli. Che sei dovunque
They are people who fly and are everywhere, able to adapt to any situation.
Ti stupirà…
They will surprise you in many ways.
Se vuoi fare casino, lei ci sta,
If you want to make a commotion, they are always up for it and ready to join in.
Combatterà la morte al fianco tuo,
They will fight alongside you, even in the face of death.
Questa mia gente è davvero grande…
This is truly a great group of people.
Va avanti e non si arrende!
They continue to move forward and never give up.
Più la combatterai
The more you try to fight them,
Più si difenderà…
the harder they will defend themselves.
Non sai tu, questa gente,
You don't know this people well enough to understand their true nature.
Quante risorse ha!
They have many resources, including a deep well of inner strength.
E mentre tutto, intorno cambierà…
As the world around them changes...
La gente come noi, è sempre la stessa.
They remain true to themselves, no matter what.
Sorride, e ancora si commuoverà
They smile and are moved to tears by the world around them.
Gente senza età.
This is a group of ageless people who are always full of life and energy.
Che sa d'eternità, che gente!!!
These are people who understand the concept of eternity, and are forever part of the universe.
Viva la gente!
Long live the people!
Gente, tu sei importante!
People, you are important!
Gente, da strada!…
Street people, who are down to earth and connected with the human spirit!
Gente, che il mondo sfida!
People who challenge the world and its conventions!
Lei, non ha prezzo e non si venderà…
These people are priceless and cannot be bought or sold.
Se vuoi essergli accanto, ebbene sia!
If you want to be by their side, so be it!
Ma non provare a tradirla mai…
But never try to betray them.
Non se ne trova facilmente di… gente come noi!!!
It's not easy to find people like us!!
Se un amore sfiorirà…
If love fades away...
Se un amico se ne andrà…
If a friend goes away...
Fra gente come noi,
Among people like us...
Tu non sarai da solo … mai!!!!
You will never be alone!!
Contributed by Bailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.