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.
Tragico Samba
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dimmi, cosa ti manca ?
Sei mica, monca!
Sei fatta bene,
Sei fatta
Che cos'altro, vuoi
Se t'ha portato,
Via, lui!
Tu almeno, ce l'hai,
Ed un fratello,
Anche se, la sua corte, non vuoi
Dai!
Ma, di che ti lamenti, ehm ?
Dopo, tre, quattro, interventi,
Una faccia, riavrai!
Vuoi suicidarti, anche tu
Ci sono tante cose belle, in TV!
Ma tu pensa, che jella,
Se poi Tu ti uccidi,
Ed il film, non vedrai!
Dai!
Ci sono cose, più importanti, sai!
E non venirmi, più a dire,
Che non ne puoi, più!
Gli psicofarmaci, ormai
È una vita, che li mandi, giù!
Per te, abortire,
È come chiudere, un occhio
È da dieci anni, che sei cieca,
Ormai Ia!
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma!
Erano in quattro, laggiù
Su quel prato, di periferia!
Ma, tu ancheggia,
Un po' meno e vedrai
La pelle intatta, a casa, porterai !
Sei Insopportabile, sei!
Ma Vivi!
C'è chi sta peggio Che vuoi!?
Non ne posso, più
E la ragione, dei miei mali, sei tu!
Ma, se non fossi,
Il problema, che sei
Probabilmente, io non ti amerei!
Tragico samba, sei tu!
E la sfortuna, non ti mollerà, più!
Tragico samba, da ballare, da sola!
A un altro samba, non resisterai Dai!
Questo è un tragico samba!
No! No! No!
The song "Tragico Samba" by Renato Zero is about a woman who is complaining about her life but is being told that she has no reason to complain because she has a family and there are many worse things going on in the world. The lyrics, "Dai! Dimmi, cosa ti manca? Sei mica, monca! Sei fatta bene, Sei fatta… Che cos'altro, vuoi? Se t'ha portato, Via, lui!" mean "Come on! Tell me, what do you lack? Are you disabled? You are well-made, what else do you want? If he took you away, so what?" The woman is being told that she has her mother and brother in her life, so she shouldn't be complaining about anything else.
The lyrics, "Sei… Insopportabile, sei! Ma… Vivi! C'è chi sta peggio… Che vuoi!?" mean "You are unbearable, but… Live! There are those who are worse off than you, what do you want!?" The woman is being told that there are people who are experiencing much worse situations than her and she should be grateful for what she has. The song ends with the lyrics, "Tragico samba, da ballare, da sola! A un altro samba, non resisterai. Dai! Questo è un tragico samba! No! No! No!" which mean "Tragic samba, to dance alone! You won't be able to resist another samba. Come on! This is a tragic samba! No! No! No!" The woman is being told to dance the tragic samba alone and move on from her complaints.
Line by Line Meaning
Dai!
Come on!
Dimmi, cosa ti manca ?
Tell me, what is missing for you?
Sei mica, monca!
You're not missing an arm or a leg!
Sei fatta bene, Sei fatta...
You're in good shape...
Che cos'altro, vuoi...
What else do you want?
Se t'ha portato, Via, lui!
If he took you away!
Una madre, Tu almeno, ce l'hai, Ed un fratello, Anche se, la sua corte, non vuoi...
You still have a mother and a brother even if you don't like his entourage.
Ma, di che ti lamenti, ehm ?
But what are you complaining about?
Dopo, tre, quattro, interventi, Una faccia, riavrai!
After three or four surgeries, you'll have a new face!
Vuoi suicidarti, anche tu... Ci sono tante cose belle, in TV!
Do you want to commit suicide too? There are so many beautiful things on TV!
Ma tu pensa, che jella, Se poi... Tu ti uccidi, Ed il film, non vedrai!
But think about it, if you kill yourself, you won't see the movie!
Ci sono cose, più importanti, sai! E non venirmi, più a dire, Che non ne puoi, più!
There are more important things, you know! Don't come telling me you can't take it anymore!
Gli psicofarmaci, ormai... È una vita, che li mandi, giù!
The psychotropic drugs, now... You've been taking them for ages!
Per te, abortire, È come chiudere, un occhio... È da dieci anni, che sei cieca, Ormai... Ia!
Aborting for you is like closing one eye... You've been blind for ten years now... No!
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma! Erano in quattro, laggiù...
But, but, but, but, but, but! They were four, down there...
Su quel prato, di periferia! Ma, tu ancheggia, Un po' meno e vedrai... La pelle intatta, a casa, porterai...!
On that suburban lawn! But you're dancing, a little less and you'll see... You'll bring home your flawless skin!
Sei... Insopportabile, sei! Ma... Vivi!
You're... Unbearable, you are! But... Live!
C'è chi sta peggio... Che vuoi!?
Some people are worse off... What do you want?
Non ne posso, più! E la ragione, dei miei mali, sei tu!
I can't take it anymore! You're the reason for my troubles!
Ma, se non fossi, Il problema, che sei... Probabilmente, io non ti amerei!
But if you weren't, the problem you are... Probably, I wouldn't love you!
Tragico samba, sei tu! E la sfortuna, non ti mollerà, più!
You're a tragic samba! And misfortune won't let go of you anymore!
Tragico samba, da ballare, da sola! A un altro samba, non resisterai... Dai!
Tragic samba, to dance alone! You won't resist another samba... Come on!
Questo è un tragico samba! No! No! No!
This is a tragic samba! No! No! No!
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
The Lobstar
tragico samba = poesia
renato zero = er mejo
francesco ceccarini
grande canzone contro le donne e il loro vittimismo soprattutto le femminiuste grande renato
Emanuela Balasini
proprio una infinita samba
rna che va avanti ere secoli ahahah che ridere
Andrea Carobbio
Dopo 3 o 4 interventi una faccia riavrai