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.
Non cancellate il mio mondo
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Io paziente e calmo
Dietro di te
Un viaggio assurdo è
Immenso tu
Che a sfidarti non ci provo più
Non hai ancora vinto e perciò
Vivrò
Stò già imparando...
Tu pace non mi dai
Non mi perdoni mai!
Un'altra volta nel mondo
Coi limiti che sai
Un posto pretendo nel mondo sbandati giorni miei
Mi consumerò fino in fondo
Finché non cambierai
Finché non capirai
Che tu sei comunque e sempre il mio mondo...
Non vedi che ti vado cercando
Fatti trovare e ti accendo
Non lo capisci che
Che se perdessi te
Dove mai troverei il mio posto
In quale mondo
Capisco te
Che ti chiudi nei silenzi tuoi
Peggio per noi se poi ti ammalerai
Impazzisco all'idea che stai morendo...
Rivoglio indietro il mio mondo
Con tutti i vizi suoi
Adesso me lo riprendo
Decrepito se mai
Signori io non lo vendo
Lontano non andrei
Non lo sopporterei
Di staccarmi un solo istante dal mondo
Non cancellate il mio mondo!
Mi resta solo il mio mondo...
The lyrics of Renato Zero's Non cancellate il mio mondo (Don't erase my world) talk about a complicated relationship between the singer and someone who seems to have a dominant and manipulative personality. The first verse talks about the singer being calm and patient behind this person, who seems to be on an absurd journey. The singer acknowledges the immensity of this person but won't challenge them anymore. They haven't won yet, and the singer will keep living. In the next verse, the singer expresses mistrust towards this person, and they have learned to deal with it. This person doesn't give them peace and never forgives. The singer acknowledges that they are back in the world, but with all its limits, and they demand a place in it. They will consume themselves until this person changes or understands that they are the singer's world, no matter what.
The chorus talks about the singer desperately trying to reach this person, telling them to find each other and not losing them. Without this person, they don't have a place in the world, and they don't know where to go. The second verse talks about the singer understanding this person, who closes themselves in their silences. They fear that if this person gets sick and dies, they will go crazy. The singer wants their world back, with all its flaws and vices, and they won't sell it. They won't go far away from it because they can't stand being away from it. They don't want anyone to erase their world.
Line by Line Meaning
Dietro di te
I'm behind you
Io paziente e calmo
I'm patient and calm
Un viaggio assurdo è
This journey is absurd
Immenso tu
You're immense
Che a sfidarti non ci provo più
I don't try to challenge you anymore
Non hai ancora vinto e perciò
You haven't won yet and so
Vivrò
I'll live
Diffido di te
I distrust you
Stò già imparando...
I'm already learning
Tu pace non mi dai
You don't give me peace
Non mi perdoni mai!
You never forgive me
Un'altra volta nel mondo
Another time in the world
Coi limiti che sai
With the limits you know
Un posto pretendo nel mondo sbandati giorni miei
I demand a place in the world for my lost days
Mi consumerò fino in fondo
I'll consume myself til the end
Finché non cambierai
Until you change
Finché non capirai
Until you understand
Che tu sei comunque e sempre il mio mondo...
That you're always and forever my world
Non vedi che ti vado cercando
Don't you see I'm looking for you
Fatti trovare e ti accendo
Let me find you and light you up
Non lo capisci che
Don't you understand that
Che se perdessi te
If I lost you
Dove mai troverei il mio posto
Where would I find my place
In quale mondo
In which world
Capisco te
I understand you
Che ti chiudi nei silenzi tuoi
That you close yourself in your silence
Peggio per noi se poi ti ammalerai
It's worse for us if you get sick
Impazzisco all'idea che stai morendo...
I go crazy at the idea of you dying
Rivoglio indietro il mio mondo
I want my world back
Con tutti i vizi suoi
With all of its flaws
Adesso me lo riprendo
Now I'm taking it back
Decrepito se mai
Even if it's decrepit
Signori io non lo vendo
I won't sell it, gentlemen
Lontano non andrei
I wouldn't go far
Non lo sopporterei
I couldn't bear it
Di staccarmi un solo istante dal mondo
To detach myself even for a moment from the world
Non cancellate il mio mondo!
Don't erase my world!
Mi resta solo il mio mondo...
I only have my world left
Contributed by Colin L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.