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.
Un uomo da bruciare
Renato Zero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E con le mance in tasca sei un signore
A questo punto puoi aspirare a tanto
Anche a lei
Sua madre, quella strega, è sempre uguale
Con gli occhi da assassina così venale
Diventerà finalmente un po' cordiale
Ti sentirai più forte, un uomo vero
Parlando della casa da comprare
E lei ti premierà offrendosi con slancio
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
E non lasciarli fare
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
L'aria, l'aria che respiravi poco tempo fa
Ha ancora il suo profumo
Di cose vere, di cose pure, di libertà
Oh no, non domandarti dove, come
Come trascinerai la vita tua
Con chi, con chi cancellerai il tuo nome
Per chi
"Due etti di prosciutto"
"Sì, signora
È ancora a letto con la febbre il suo bambino?
Che peccato, vuole anche il formaggino?"
La vita dietro un banco a costruire
Un avvenire che le possa dare
La sicurezza, un'auto, qualcosa da invidiare
L'avrai
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
E non lasciarli fare
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
The song "Un uomo da bruciare" by Renato Zero is about a man who is trying to escape from the mundane and suffocating life of working behind a counter for a living. In the first verse, the man is being addressed and told that he finds himself in a position where he has enough money to aspire to more, including a woman he desires. He is warned of the cost he will eventually pay to obtain her affection.
In the second verse, the lyrics describe the mother of the woman the man desires as a malevolent figure who will finally be more cordial to the man due to his newfound fortune. The man is mistaken for this new authority, and he feels more like a true man. He thinks he can finally buy a house, and the woman will reward him for his efforts by offering herself to him. However, this is when he is warned again about the impending price he will have to pay.
The chorus is a warning for the man not to fall into the trap of becoming a man who is just going through the motions of life, trying to acquire things but losing his sense of self and individuality in the process. The lyrics suggest that he should save a part of himself from the clutches of societal pressure and expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Adesso che sei il garzone del droghiere
Now that you're the shopkeeper's boy
E con le mance in tasca sei un signore
And with tips in your pocket, you're a gentleman
A questo punto puoi aspirare a tanto
At this point, you can aspire to much more
Anche a lei
Even to her
Sua madre, quella strega, è sempre uguale
Her mother, that witch, is always the same
Con gli occhi da assassina così venale
With her killer eyes so venal
Diventerà finalmente un po' cordiale
She'll finally become a bit friendly
Ti sentirai più forte, un uomo vero
You'll feel stronger, a real man
Parlando della casa da comprare
Talking about buying a house
E lei ti premierà offrendosi con slancio
And she'll reward you by offering herself eagerly
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
You'll have her, you'll have her with eagerness and love
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
You'll have her, but you don't know the price you'll have to pay
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
Run away, flee, and save something inside of you
E non lasciarli fare
And don't let them do it
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
Don't become a man to burn
L'aria, l'aria che respiravi poco tempo fa
The air, the air you breathed not too long ago
Ha ancora il suo profumo
Still has its perfume
Di cose vere, di cose pure, di libertà
Of true things, of pure things, of freedom
Oh no, non domandarti dove, come
Oh no, don't ask yourself where, how
Come trascinerai la tua vita
How you'll drag your life
Con chi, con chi cancellerai il tuo nome
With who, who will erase your name
Per chi
For whom
"Due etti di prosciutto"
"Two hundred grams of prosciutto"
"Sì, signora
"Yes, ma'am
È ancora a letto con la febbre il suo bambino?
Is her child still in bed with a fever?
Che peccato, vuole anche il formaggino?"
What a shame, does he also want cheese?"
La vita dietro un banco a costruire
Life behind a counter building
Un avvenire che le possa dare
A future that can provide
La sicurezza, un'auto, qualcosa da invidiare
Security, a car, something to envy
L'avrai
You'll have it
L'avrai, l'avrai con slancio e con amore
You'll have it, you'll have it with eagerness and love
L'avrai, ma tu non sai il prezzo che dovrai pagare
You'll have it, but you don't know the price you'll have to pay
Scappa, fuggi e salva qualche cosa in te
Run away, flee, and save something inside of you
E non lasciarli fare
And don't let them do it
Non diventare un uomo da bruciare
Don't become a man to burn
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Renato Fiacchini, Piero Pintucci, Giulio Rapetti Mogol
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
G K
Questa canzone, incredibilmente amara e veritiera quanto artisticamente bellissima e interpretata con una potente carica di pathos rispecchia una realtà in cui molti ci siamo ritrovati intrappolati e fin troppo dura da digerire. L'unica battaglia possibile e nostro unico riscatto e rivincita..
non " lasciarli fare " , non arrendersi passivamente e combattere per non farsi nè mettere sotto nè farci togliere quel poco di dignità che abbiamo ancora.
Berardo Digiacomantonio
Questa canzone di una bellezza sconvolgente ha secondo me un "realismo magico" che emoziona come poche altre del grande Renato.👏👏👏👏👏
Claudio "Claude" Gottardi
A me viene la pelle d'oca, miseriaccia!!! Stupenda!
Il grande Renato, ha sempre saputo cogliere l'emozione e restituirla al suo pubblico!!!
Gian Marco
E' stata scritta da Mogol ...
Antonietta Vallese
Rispecchia la mia vita... Gettata alle ortiche per un uomo che non meritava il mio sacrificio... Vabbè, è andata... Pazienza.. Bellissima canzone, Renato Zero è sempre lui... Un grande!!!!
eric conte
Bellissima canzone, bellissima voce e grande interpretazione
Leo Nacho
Una delle canzoni più belle di Renato 🔥
Cinzia Parri
Nostalgia Immensa!!! Sempre un emozione fortissima riascoltarti!!! Grazie di tutto Renato!!!
gabriella daliberti
Una delle sue più belle interpretazioni.
Gaetano Sabatino
Vabbe ne ha fatte talmente tante, impressionante