Arthur H first performed in 1988 in clubs in Paris, as leader of a trio with bassist Brad Scott and drummer Paul Jothy. His first album, Arthur H (1990), combined rhythmic experimentation and bal-musette elements with a vocal style which has been compared to Tom Waits. He toured widely around this time, particularly in France and Japan, adding a fourth band member, Jon Handelsman (saxophone), and produced a second album, Bachibouzouk (1992). In early 1993, he did a six week season at the Magic Mirrors, an antique circus big top, which was later put on as a touring show and recorded on the live album En chair et en os. In 1996, he released the album Trouble Fête, following which he performed a season at the Gymnase in Paris. The live album Fête Trouble (1997) included some tracks from these shows as well as others recorded on tour in Africa. He toured the USA and Canada in 1998.
In 2000, he wrote the soundtrack for Michel Couvelard’s film, Inséparables, before touring in Asia and Canada. His next album, Pour Madame X (2000), featured the touring band of Nicolas Repac (guitar), Brad Scott (double bass) and Laurent Robin (drums). In 2001, he took part in the show "Cabaret Imprudent" with "Le Cirque Cahin-caha". The following year, he released the album Piano Solo, recorded live in a studio and mainly consisting of solo interpretations of earlier songs. This was followed by a band album, Négresse Blanche (2003), comprising tracks dedicated to the memory of famous women such as "Marilyn Kaddish" and "Bo Derek". In 2005, a planned tour of China was cancelled, and he returned to the studio to record the album Adieu Tristesse. This was the most commercially successful of his career, and included several duets, one with his father and another, "Est-ce que tu aimes?", with the musician -M- (Matthieu Chedid). He subsequently toured widely in France, Lebanon and Canada. In 2006 he published a book, "Onirique attaque", containing lyrics, reflections and photographs. He also composed the soundtrack for the film "L’homme qui rêvait d'un enfant", directed by Delphine Gleize. The soundtrack was performed by an ensemble of children from a local music school. The album "Show Time", issued late in 2006, was recorded live on tour and includes duets with Matthieu Chedid, Pauline Croze, Lhasa de Sela and Jacques Higelin. In June 2008 he released the album "L'Homme du Monde".
Discography
* 1990 : Arthur H
* 1991 : Cool Jazz (remixes)
* 1992 : Bachibouzouk
* 1993 : En chair et en os (live)
* 1996 : Trouble-Fête
* 1997 : Fête Trouble (live)
* 1999 : Inséparables (soundtrack)
* 2000 : Pour Madame X
* 2002 : Piano Solo (live)
* 2003 : Négresse Blanche
* 2005 : Adieu Tristesse
* 2006 : Show Time (live)
* 2008 : L'Homme du Monde
www.arthurh.net
La Lune
Arthur H Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire
Pourquoi ces pleurs
Pourquoi ces mots amers
Je ne me souviens de rien
A part d'un grand noir
Un miroir fracassé
Je perds la mémoire
La nuit était chaude et claire
Je sais j'ai beaucoup trop bu
La lune était pleine
Tu sais que je suis trop sensible
Beaucoup trop sensible, vraiment trop sensible
Je suis Beaucoup trop sensible
A la lune
Ô mon petit coeur
Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire
Pour que tu aies si peur
Que tu me souhaites l'enfer
Ma jolie princesse
Je suis un mauvais homme
J'ai honte et je pleure
Mais je ne me rappelle plus rien
La nuit était chaude et claire
J'étais en bonne compagnie
La lune était pleine
Tu sais que je suis trop sensible
Tu trembles d'effroi
Tu crois que je suis fou
Mais non rassure-toi
Je suis juste fou de toi
Où sont les enfants ?
Dis-moi tout de suite pourquoi
Les murs du salon
Sont barbouillés de sang
Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire comme connerie ?
ça y est elle est partie
Et sa mère, elle est où sa mère ?
Qu'est-ce que j'ai pu faire avec sa mère ?
Ô beautiful moon
Iimplore you to do not let me be crazy tonight
Ô beautiful moon, ancient godess
I implore you one more time
To do not let me be insane tonight
The song "La Lune" by Arthur H talks about a person who wakes up in a strange place not knowing how they got there. The opening lines of the song "Ô mon petit coeur, Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire, Pourquoi ces pleurs, Pourquoi ces mots amers" seem to suggest that they are trying to comprehend the reason for their tears and bitterness. The singer seems to be in a state of confusion and desperately trying to recall what happened to them while being plagued by memories or rather lack of memories of a shattered mirror and a dark night that is otherwise quite hazy.
As the song progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that the singer’s confusion may have been due to drinking too much the night before as they talk about how the night was hot and the moon was full, which could have added to their heightened sensitivity. The lyrics "Tu trembles d'effroi, Tu crois que je suis fou, Mais non rassure-toi, Je suis juste fou de toi" suggest that the person they are addressing might think they are insane. However, the singer reassures them that it is not insanity, it could just be their undying love for them.
The final lines, in English, "Ô beautiful moon, I implore you one more time, To do not let me be insane tonight" reveal that despite the singer’s reassurances to their loved one, they are not completely convinced of their stability. The song seems to be a reflection on the consequences of extreme emotion and an impairment in judgment brought on by the full moon.
Line by Line Meaning
Ô mon petit coeur
Addressing the singer's own heart, asking what he has done to cause the situation
Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire
Asking himself what he could have done
Pourquoi ces pleurs
Asking why there are tears
Pourquoi ces mots amers
Asking why there are bitter words
Je ne me souviens de rien
Admitting to not remembering anything
A part d'un grand noir
All he can remember is darkness
Un miroir fracassé
A broken mirror is the only physical evidence left of whatever happened
Je perds la mémoire
He is losing his memory and cannot remember what happened
La nuit était chaude et claire
Describing the weather conditions on the night when everything happened
Je sais j'ai beaucoup trop bu
Admitting to excessive drinking
La lune était pleine
Noticing the full moon shining down on him
Tu sais que je suis trop sensible
Acknowledging that he is too sensitive as a person
Beaucoup trop sensible, vraiment trop sensible
Emphasizing how overly sensitive he is
Je suis Beaucoup trop sensible
Repeating that he is just too sensitive
A la lune
Blaming his craziness on the moon
Pour que tu aies si peur
Wondering why the other person became so scared
Que tu me souhaites l'enfer
Explaining that the other person cursed him
Ma jolie princesse
An affectionate name he calls the other person
Je suis un mauvais homme
Acknowledging that he is a bad person
J'ai honte et je pleure
Feeling shame and crying
Mais je ne me rappelle plus rien
Admitting once again that he doesn't remember anything
J'étais en bonne compagnie
Recalling that he was with good friends
Tu trembles d'effroi
Describing how scared the other person is
Tu crois que je suis fou
The other person thinks he is crazy
Mais non rassure-toi
Assuring the other person that everything is okay
Je suis juste fou de toi
Suggesting that his only 'insanity' is his love for the other person
Où sont les enfants ?
Asking where the children are
Dis-moi tout de suite pourquoi
Asking the other person to explain what is happening
Les murs du salon
Describing the walls in the living room
Sont barbouillés de sang
The walls are covered in blood
Qu'est-c'que j'ai pu faire comme connerie ?
Admitting that he is responsible for whatever catastrophe has occurred
ça y est elle est partie
The other person has finally left him
Et sa mère, elle est où sa mère ?
Asking where the other person's mother is
Qu'est-ce que j'ai pu faire avec sa mère ?
Implying that he may have done something inappropriate with the other person's mother
Ô beautiful moon
Addressing the moon once again
I implore you to do not let me be crazy tonight
Asking the moon to not make him go insane
Ô beautiful moon, ancient godess
Continuing to revere the moon as an ancient deity
I implore you one more time
Repeating his plea to the moon
To do not let me be insane tonight
Asking again for the moon's mercy
Contributed by Lucy V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.