Renato Zero (Italian pronunciation: [reˈnaːto ˈdzɛːro]) is the stage name of Renato Fiacchini (born 30 September 1950), an Italian singer, songwriter, producer, dancer and actor whose career spans a full 6 decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s, with 40 million records sold, becoming one of the best-selling Italian music artists. Zero was born Renato Fiacchini in downtown Rome, in Via di Ripetta, next to the famed Via del Corso.
He quit his studies early to devote himself to his true passion, the arts, more specifically playing music and singing - though initially with little success. From an early age, he would wear make-up and cross-dress. He replied to the criticisms he received (including the recurring insult Sei uno zero! - "You're a zero!") by taking on the pseudonym Renato Zero. He recorded his first songs 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 and was quickly forgotten.
Songwriter: Pennington, Ray
I've been down to Mississippi
Down through New Orleans
I played in California
Ain't too much I haven't seen
Alright
Well, I'm a ramblin' man
Don't fool around with any ol' ramblin' man
Left a girl in West Virginia
Up there where that green grass grows
Yeah, I did
Another girl in Cincinnati
Waitin' where the Ohio River flows
Yeah, girl
Well, I'm a ramblin' man
Don't give your heart to a ramblin' man
Well, you better move away
You're standing too close to the flame
Once I mess with your mind
Your little heart won't be the same
Oh, I'm a ramblin' man
Don't mess around with any ol' ramblin' man
Well, up there in Chicago
I was known as Quiet Boy
And down in Alabama
They call me the Man of Joy
Still do
I'm a ramblin' man
Don't fall in love with a ramblin' man
Well, you better move away
You're standing too close to the flame
Once I mess with your mind,
Your little heart won't be the same
Oh, I'm a ramblin' man
Don't mess around with any ol' ramblin' man