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.
Madame
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In tutta la città
Di mostri come me
Cerca in giro ma non ce n'è
Un occhio guarda là
L'altro l'opposto va
Quanto alle gambe poi
Sono due non ci giurerei
Bella e perfetta tua
No che ci abbia pensato su
M'hai detto all'istante sì
Ed il bello sta proprio qui
Uomini intorno a te
Ce n'è in fila anche tre per tre
E la tua compagnia si fa sempre più un'utopia
Se l'amore è ceco va
E non guarda dove va
Rassomiglia un poco a me
Madame
Madame
Ma l'amore come va
Zoppicando qua e là
Ma tu insisti che mi vuoi
Madame
Madame
Ora la mia metà
Sarà forse di mezz'età
Ma dove s'è vista mai
Una femmina come lei
Ha gli occhi storti e il naso in su
Non è una donna ma una gru
I denti proprio no
I capelli nemmeno un po'
Se l'amore è ceco va
E non guarda dove va
Rassomiglia un poco a me
Madame
Madame
Ma l'amore come va
Zoppicando qua e là
Ma tu insisti che mi vuoi
Oh madame
Madame
Madame, Madame, Madame, oh Madame
Madame, oh Madame
Madame, Madame, Madame, oh Madame
Madame
The song "Madame" by Renato Zero is about the uniqueness and rarity of the singer and Madame, the woman he loves. The singer describes himself and Madame as monsters, rare and hard to find in the city. He describes himself as having eyes that look in opposite directions and legs that may not be exactly the same length. Similarly, Madame has a twisted nose and eyes that are not aligned. Despite their unusual and unconventional appearances, Madame has fallen in love with the singer instantly, and the singer is uncertain but excited about this.
The singer compares his love story with Madame to how love is often blind and doesn't discriminate based on appearances. He feels that Madame's acceptance and love for him is similar to this blindness because she sees past his outward appearances and loves him for who he is. Despite his uncertainty about their love due to their unique appearances, Madame insists that she loves him and wants him, which makes the singer happy.
The song's poetic metaphor draws attention to the importance of accepting and loving people for who they are, regardless of how different they may appear on the outside.
Line by Line Meaning
Sono una rarità
I'm a rarity
In tutta la città
Throughout the city
Di mostri come me
Of monsters like me
Cerca in giro ma non ce n'è
Search around but there's none like me
Un occhio guarda là
One eye looks there
L'altro l'opposto va
The other goes the opposite way
Quanto alle gambe poi
And as for the legs
Sono due non ci giurerei
There are two but I wouldn't swear on it
Bella e perfetta tua
Yours beautiful and perfect
No che ci abbia pensato su
No, I haven't thought about it
M'hai detto all'istante sì
You said yes instantly
Ed il bello sta proprio qui
And the beauty is right here
Uomini intorno a te
Men around you
Ce n'è in fila anche tre per tre
There are three in a row
E la tua compagnia si fa sempre più un'utopia
And your company becomes more and more utopian
Se l'amore è ceco va
If love is blind
E non guarda dove va
And doesn't look where it's going
Rassomiglia un poco a me
It's a little like me
Madame
Madame
Ma l'amore come va
But how does love go?
Zoppicando qua e là
Limping here and there
Ma tu insisti che mi vuoi
But you insist that you want me
Madame
Madame
Ora la mia metà
Now my better half
Sarà forse di mezz'età
Will maybe be middle-aged
Ma dove s'è vista mai
But where has one ever seen
Una femmina come lei
A female like her
Ha gli occhi storti e il naso in su
She has crooked eyes and a turned-up nose
Non è una donna ma una gru
She's not a woman but a crane
I denti proprio no
The teeth, no way
I capelli nemmeno un po'
The hair, not even a bit
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Franca Evangelisti, Renato Fiacchini, Piero Pintucci
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eleonora Famoso
Sono una rarità,
In tutta la città.
Di mostri come me,
Cerca in giro, ma non ce n?è!
Un occhio guarda là,
L'altro all'opposto, va?
Guarda le gambe, poi,
Sono due, non ci giurerei!
Ah, ah, ah!
Ah, ah, ah!
Bella e perfetta, tu?
Non che ci abbia pensato, su?
Mi hai detto all'istante, si!
Ed il bello sta proprio qui?
Uomini intorno a te,
Ce n'è in fila anche tre per tre,
E la tua compagnia,
Si fa sempre più un?utopia!
Ah, ah, ah!
Ah, ah, ah!
Se l'amore cieco, va?
E non guarda dove va,
Rassomiglia un poco a me,
Madame!
Madame!
Ma l'amore come va,
Zoppicando qua e la?
Ma tu insisti che mi vuoi,
Oh?
Madame!
Madame!
Pollo!
Nanina!
Ora la mia metà,
Sarà forse di mezza età.
Ma dove si è vista mai,
Una femmina come lei?
Ha gli occhi storti e il naso in su,
Non è una donna, ma una gru!
I denti proprio no,
I capelli nemmeno un po'?
Ah, ah, ah!
Ah, ah, ah!
Se l'amore, cieco va?
E non guarda dove va,
Rassomiglia un poco a me?
Madame!
Madame!
Ma l'amore come va,
Zoppicando qua e la,
Ma tu insisti che mi vuoi?.
Oh?
Madame!
Madame!
Actarus Fleed
La mia prima volta fu con una Madame a Roma! Era indimenticabile! Gli arrangiatori di Renato Zero sono maestri nell'arte di creare dei ritmi zoccoleschi come nessun altro! Erano imbattibili! E robba da morire. Grande Mitico Renato. God Bless You!!
leon lab
Per l'epoca un artista davvero fantasioso, eclettico, anticonformista e con un notevole carisma, il nostro freddy italiano. Nel 1976 era come fantascienza musicale. La linea di basso è fantastica, ribelle, cattiva! e da suonare è un gusto! la adoro tantissimo, un notevole masterpiece italiano, da suonare e risuonare. peccato che ero troppo piccolo sarebbe stato fantastico per me poter suonare in quegli anni d'oro. Grazie Achille e Grazie Renato e ovviamente a tutta la band!
Shadow Moon Renzini
leon lab si scrive Freddie, ma concordo con tutto 🔥👍🏽
Armando Narini
Anche il triangolo ha una bella line bass
Mark Lawless
la miglior canzone di Renato. Negli anni 70 era davvero eccezionale. Tornasse ad uno stile come questo sarebbe fantastico
Actarus Fleed
Hai pienamente ragione Mark. Questa e la mia preferita di tutte e sue belle canzoni.
Viviana Calvi
Verissimo la canzone più bella!
alessio Sole
Non c'è la più
Pelagie 75
Je souviens de ce titre , de ce chanteur qui me fascinait.
A l'époque, je vivrais à Rome.
SERPICO936
Ascoltavo questa canzone nel 1976 e tutti dicevano che ero pazzo.. Grande Renato !