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.
Sosia
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fra copia ed originale
Quante volgari imitazioni di te
Vedrai quante contraffazioni.
La voce la tua faccia il nome tuo
Qualcuno ha già duplicato
E da uno scantinato si inventerà
Talenti simili a quelli esistenti
Stanno ormai circolando tu lo sai
La fantasia
Trattata e riciclata non più tua
Non sei rarità
Perché hai sgobbato tanto chi lo sa
Non t'invidio stordito da tremila radio.
Unico un doppione non c'è
Niente che somigli a me uguale geniale
Unico non credo ne faranno più
E se sarò svenduto sulle bancarelle
Come potrai cascarci non lo so
Pagare a metà prezzo ciò che a prezzo pieno ti do
Non ti sbaglierai
Distinguere puoi
Falso vero chiaro scuro puro impuro.
Una lattuga in mezzo alle orchidee
L'inganno è così palese
E se non hai pretese beato te
Prendi per oro ciò che oro non è.
A voi contrabbandieri di un'idea
Che quel pensiero alterate
E se la gente intossicata è già
Che fate ancora fumo le offrite.
Sosia vedrai
Una gavetta non la fanno mai
Stanno lassù
Una stagione e non li senti più
Tu paghi due e prendi tre
In quell'affare non includerci me
Troppo caro per le tue tasche il mio futuro.
Unico altre facce non ho
Se c'è un doppio però è un baro, chiaro
Unico stampa quanti sosia vuoi
Con mille accorgimenti trucchi e e adattamenti
Riusciranno a sostituirmi mai
L'anagrafe non basta
Ma per quello che nel cuore hai
Per questo tu sei unico, unico
Davvero unico
Unico unico unico!
The song "Sosia" by Renato Zero is a warning against the dangers of imitation and copying in the entertainment industry. The lyrics describe the difference between an original artist and their imitators, using the metaphor of a fake or counterfeit product. The singer suggests that while there may be many copies and replicas of an artist, there is only one true original. The lyrics also critique the media and music industry for their tendency to promote and recycle formulaic and unoriginal content, which can lead to artist burnout and disillusionment with the music industry.
The chorus of the song reinforces the theme of the singer's uniqueness among a sea of imitators: "Unico, un doppione non c'è / Niente che somigli a me / Uguale, geniale / Unico, non credo ne faranno più" ("Unique, there is no double / Nothing that looks like me / Equal, brilliant / Unique, I don't think they'll make any more"). The singer argues that his talent and creativity cannot be duplicated, and that he will remain true to himself even if his music is sold on discount in street markets.
Overall, "Sosia" is a commentary on the commercialization of the music industry and the importance of maintaining authenticity and creativity in the face of imitation and copying.
Line by Line Meaning
Già a colpo d'occhi differenza c'è
There's a difference at first glance
Fra copia ed originale
Between a copy and an original
Quante volgari imitazioni di te
So many vulgar imitations of you
Vedrai quante contraffazioni.
You'll see how many counterfeits there are
La voce la tua faccia il nome tuo
Your voice, your face, your name
Qualcuno ha già duplicato
Someone has already duplicated
E da uno scantinato si inventerà
And from some basement, they'll invent
Talenti simili a quelli esistenti
Similar talents to those already existing
Sosia vedrai
You'll see the lookalikes
Stanno ormai circolando tu lo sai
They're already circulating, you know
La fantasia
The imagination
Trattata e riciclata non più tua
Treated and recycled, no longer yours
Non sei rarità
You're not unique
Perché hai sgobbato tanto chi lo sa
Who knows why you've worked so hard
Non t'invidio stordito da tremila radio.
I don't envy you, dizzy from three thousand radios.
Unico un doppione non c'è
There's no duplicate of the unique
Niente che somigli a me uguale geniale
Nothing that looks like me, equally brilliant
Unico non credo ne faranno più
I don't think there will be another like me
E se sarò svenduto sulle bancarelle
And if I'll be sold on the stalls
Come potrai cascarci non lo so
How you can fall for it, I don't know
Pagare a metà prezzo ciò che a prezzo pieno ti do
Pay half price for what I give at full price
Non ti sbaglierai
You won't make a mistake
Distinguere puoi
You can distinguish
Falso vero chiaro scuro puro impuro.
False, true, clear, dark, pure, impure.
Una lattuga in mezzo alle orchidee
A lettuce among orchids
L'inganno è così palese
The deception is so obvious
E se non hai pretese beato te
And if you don't have pretensions, blessed are you
Prendi per oro ciò che oro non è.
Taking for gold what is not gold.
A voi contrabbandieri di un'idea
To you smugglers of an idea
Che quel pensiero alterate
Who alter that thought
E se la gente intossicata è già
And if people are already intoxicated
Che fate ancora fumo le offrite.
What are you still doing? Offering smoke.
Sosia vedrai
You'll see the lookalikes
Una gavetta non la fanno mai
They never make a career
Stanno lassù
They're up there
Una stagione e non li senti più
One season and you don't hear from them anymore
Tu paghi due e prendi tre
You pay for two and get three
In quell'affare non includerci me
Don't include me in that business
Troppo caro per le tue tasche il mio futuro.
My future is too expensive for your pockets.
Unico altre facce non ho
Unique, I don't have other faces
Se c'è un doppio però è un baro, chiaro
But if there's a double, he's a crook, clear
Unico stampa quanti sosia vuoi
Unique, print as many lookalikes as you want
Con mille accorgimenti trucchi e e adattamenti
With a thousand tricks and adaptations
Riusciranno a sostituirmi mai
They'll never be able to replace me
L'anagrafe non basta
The registry is not enough
Ma per quello che nel cuore hai
But for what you have in your heart
Per questo tu sei unico, unico
That's why you're unique, unique
Davvero unico
Truly unique
Unico unico unico!
Unique, unique, unique!
Contributed by Mason L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.