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.
Niente
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La mente si difende, il cuore si arrende,
Non lasciarmi almeno tu.
Niente ormai, padroni di niente,
Ci siamo ma non sappiamo chi siamo!
Niente, la malinconia…
Il rombo di un motore, vivere per errore,
Trascinati per la via.
Con niente : anche l'amore è impotente!
Niente, eppure il cielo è blu
Ma non vediamo niente perché a testa bassa noi,
Guardiamo giù.
Forse… Mondo, non hai più risorse ?
O forse, siamo soltanto comparse ?
Lentamente andiamo,
Estranei noi sembriamo,
Noi confusi tra la gente.
Le voglie mie, le ansie tue
Travolte dalla corrente!
Che farò, che farai,
Che cosa faremo noi ?
Non si può stare qui
E dire sempre di si.
Questa città seducente
Apre le gambe e ci sta…
Ma questa folle avventura,
Per quanto durerà…
Niente abita con noi,
Nel traffico invadente, nell'aria pesante
Nei pensieri detti mai…
Prova a stare ancora al mio fianco,
A dirmi " Coraggio " se sarò stanco!
Pane e anfetamine,
Squallide dottrine,
E chi dice, andate avanti,
Non lo sa come si sta
Quando non tornano i conti.
Che farò, che farai,
Che fine faremo noi.
Non si può stare qui
E dire sempre di si,
Alla follia che ci assale
Chi arriverà primo vivrà…
E caso mai ti andrà male…Il niente basterà
The lyrics of Renato Zero's song "Niente" (Nothing) describe a sense of disillusionment and resignation in modern society. The first verse speaks to the desensitization towards the world that many people feel, where nothing surprises us anymore and we go through the motions of everyday life without really engaging with it. The mind defends against the disappointments of life while the heart surrenders to them, leaving the singer to implore the listener not to abandon them.
The chorus further expresses this idea of nothingness, that we are masters of nothing and we are all adrift in a society where we do not know who we are. The melancholy is captured in the sound of a motor engine, something symbolic of the repetitive and mechanical nature of our existence. The facade of appearances, indicated by the use of "facciamo finta di niente" (let's pretend nothing's happening), is something that even love is impotent to overcome. Though the sky could be blue, we do not look up, consumed by the world in front of us. This leads to the questioning of whether the world itself has any resources left for us, or if we are simply disposable extras in the larger play.
The second verse goes on to describe the disorientation and confusion that comes with living in such a world. The desires and anxieties of individuals are overpowered by the current of societal norms and expectations. The repetition of "che farò, che farai, che cosa faremo noi?" (what will I do, what will you do, what will we do?) emphasizes the lack of direction and purpose. The city is seductive but ultimately empty, and the singer's partner is asked to stay by their side and encourage them to have courage. The final lines of the song suggest that there may be some competition in this society, but ultimately whoever wins will still find themselves held back by nothingness.
Line by Line Meaning
Niente non ci sorprende più,
Nothing surprises us anymore,
La mente si difende, il cuore si arrende,
The mind defends while the heart surrenders,
Non lasciarmi almeno tu.
Don't leave me at least,
Niente ormai, padroni di niente,
Nothing now, masters of nothing,
Ci siamo ma non sappiamo chi siamo!
We are here but we don't know who we are!
Niente, la malinconia…
Nothing, melancholy...
Il rombo di un motore, vivere per errore,
The roar of an engine, living by mistake,
Trascinati per la via.
Dragged along the road.
Niente trucco, facciamo finta di niente,
No trick, let's pretend it's nothing,
Con niente : anche l'amore è impotente!
With nothing: even love is impotent!
Niente, eppure il cielo è blu
Nothing, yet the sky is blue,
Ma non vediamo niente perché a testa bassa noi,
But we can't see anything because we have our heads low,
Guardiamo giù.
Looking down.
Forse… Mondo, non hai più risorse ?
Perhaps... world, you don't have any resources left?
O forse, siamo soltanto comparse ?
Or maybe we are just extras?
Lentamente andiamo,
Slowly we go,
Estranei noi sembriamo,
We seem like strangers,
Noi confusi tra la gente.
We're confused amongst the people.
Le voglie mie, le ansie tue
My desires, your anxieties,
Travolte dalla corrente!
Swept away by the current!
Che farò, che farai, Che cosa faremo noi ?
What will I do, what will you do, what will we do?
Non si può stare qui E dire sempre di si.
We can't stay here and always say yes.
Questa città seducente Apre le gambe e ci sta... Ma questa folle avventura, Per quanto durerà...Niente abita con noi,
This seductive city spreads its legs and lets us in... But this crazy adventure, no matter how long it lasts... Nothing lives with us,
Nel traffico invadente, nell'aria pesante, Nei pensieri detti mai...
In the overwhelming traffic, in the heavy air, in the thoughts unspoken...
Prova a stare ancora al mio fianco, A dirmi "Coraggio" se sarò stanco!
Try to stay by my side, and tell me "Courage" if I get tired!
Pane e anfetamine, Squallide dottrine,
Bread and amphetamines, dismal doctrines,
E chi dice, andate avanti, Non lo sa come si sta Quando non tornano i conti.
And those who say, "Go ahead," don't know what it's like when the bills don't add up.
Che farò, che farai, Che fine faremo noi.
What will I do, what will you do, what will become of us.
Non si può stare qui E dire sempre di si,
We can't stay here and always say yes,
Alla follia che ci assale Chi arriverà primo vivrà... E caso mai ti andrà male Il niente basterà
To the madness that overwhelms us, whoever arrives first will live... And if it goes wrong for you, nothing will be enough.
Contributed by Nicholas O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chiara Teruzzi
..CHI FA PARTE DI RENATO ..E SI È CRESCIUTI CON RENATO ZERO..HA UNA MARCIA IN PIÙ!!!😍
giovanni di domenico
Grande Renato questa canzone è più attuale che mai la disillusione il disincanto sono padroni di noi delle nostre anime!!!
fabrizio tofani
che periodo di vita vivevamo co la musica de Renato .
Mauro Mancini
Na vita de spensieratezza de pesca e de biardo a Marino. Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Совенок
Una delle mie preferite !!!! Grande Renato da brividi!!!
roberta pimazzoni
Nessuno mai come lui...le parole vanno dritte all anima la mia era adolescente qua...Mi ha segnato per sempre.Grazie renato
Nelida Andrada
La obra de Renato es espetacular
graziella bianchi
Grazie per aver fatto tante bellissime poesie
Claudio Cioni
Un album superStratosferico ,ero un bambino ,emozioni immense
Enzo Bonadies
A Renà, quando ascolto questo doppio album oggi con i miei 63 anni, ritorno indietro nel 1982 migravo in Francia ma l'album l'avevo in valigia mi hai fatto tanto emozionare pensando alla mia famiglia in Puglia. Non credevo ai miei occhi quando ti incontrai a Parigi per strada ti dissi semplicemente tu sei Renato Zero, mi rispondesti tu sei Italiano, in quei tempi non ti conoscevano in Francia. Ciao Renato ti voglio bene