Renato Zero is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini (born September 30, 1950)… Read Full Bio ↴Renato Zero is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini (born September 30, 1950), an Italian singer-songwriter and showman.

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.

Pura luce
Renato Zero Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ma non senti crescere un canto
Con le note più belle del mondo
Sono gli amici persi nel vento
Che ci vengono incontro

Oltre il tempo l'amore ha vinto
Il segreto è nell'anima accanto
Per questa notte oltre la vita

Per ogni lacrima che scenderà
Un abbraccio ci perdonerà
Quante stelle cadono in mare
Padri figli in un solo colore

Ogni paura ora è lontana dagli errori dell'umanità
Apri gli occhi
Siamo pura luce ormai
Mille voci un fuoco una casa
Non tardare non tradire l'attesa
Che io ti aspetto come ogni sera
Per parlarti dell'eternità

Apri gli occhi
Sei la sola verità
Ormai
Cuori in tempesta
La morte ci sfida

La tua mano riconoscerò
Di seguirti non mi stancherò, io no

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Renato Zero's song Pura luce are about finding solace in the memories of loved ones that have passed away. The opening lines of the song talk about a beautiful melody that is being carried on the wind, and as the melody grows stronger, we see that it is made up of the voices of friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. The lyrics suggest a sense of comfort in the idea that the people we have lost are never truly gone, but instead, are always with us in spirit.

The song continues to explore the idea of life beyond death, with the lyrics stating that love has triumphed over time, and that there is a secret in the souls of those who are still alive. The idea of eternal life is introduced, with the suggestion that we are all connected by a shared experience of loss and the knowledge that beyond this life lies something greater. The chorus of the song is uplifting, with lyrics that encourage the listener to open their eyes to the beauty of life and the light that they carry within themselves.

Overall, the song can be seen as a celebration of life and the people who have come before us. The lyrics suggest that we can find comfort in the memories of loved ones, and that even in death, they are still a part of us.

Line by Line Meaning

Ma non senti crescere un canto
Can't you hear a song growing?

Con le note più belle del mondo
With the most beautiful notes in the world

Sono gli amici persi nel vento
They are the friends lost in the wind

Che ci vengono incontro
Who come towards us

Oltre il tempo l'amore ha vinto
Beyond time, love has won

Il segreto è nell'anima accanto
The secret is in the soul next to us

Per questa notte oltre la vita
For this night beyond life

Per ogni lacrima che scenderà
For every tear that will fall

Un abbraccio ci perdonerà
An embrace will forgive us

Quante stelle cadono in mare
So many stars fall into the sea

Padri figli in un solo colore
Fathers and sons in one color