Arthur H is Arthur Higelin's stage name. Higelin (born Paris, France, 27 Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Arthur H is Arthur Higelin's stage name. Higelin (born Paris, France, 27 March 1966), is a French pianist, songwriter and singer. He is the son of the French singer Jacques Higelin and Nicole Courtois. After traveling in the West Indies, he studied music in Boston before returning to Paris and developing his eclectic but highly personal musical style, drawing on such influences as Thelonious Monk, Serge Gainsbourg, the Sex Pistols, jazz, blues, Middle Eastern music and the tango. He is best known in France for his live performances - four of his albums were recorded live - and remains relatively little-known in the English-speaking world.

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

Un Fantôme S'Est Suicidé
Arthur H Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Un fantôme voulait se tuer
Il était désespéré.
Un fantôme voulait se suicider
La mort n'était pas assez douce
Un jour il s'est décidé
Il s'est jeté par la fenêtre
Mais désespéré
Il a flotté

Dans ce délicieux enfer
Il était amoureux d'Esther,
Une meurtrière sans coeur
Très sensuelle sous son suaire
Mais elle ne le regarde pas
Elle fait comme s'il n'existait pas
Il lui dit : "Eh ! pour toi je ne suis pas invisible
Même si je ne suis pas fait de chair"

Un fantôme voulait se tuer
Par amour pour Esther
Alors il s'est pendu
Tout nu c'est élémentaire
Mais quand d'un coup de pied
Il s'est débarrassé du tabouret,
Désespéré
Il a flotté

En enfer c'est pas tous les jours
La vie en rose, la vie facile
Quand on a un chagrin d'amour
Et qu'on ne tient à la vie qu'à un fil.
Mais les peines de coeur s'effacent
Et en attendant que celle-ci passe

Le fantôme désespéré
Essaye de se suicider.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Arthur H's song "Un Fantôme S'est Suicidé" tell the story of a ghost who wants to commit suicide. He is in love with Esther, a heartless murderer who ignores him. The ghost tries to get Esther's attention, telling her that he is not invisible, even though he is not made of flesh. He becomes so despondent that he decides to jump out of a window, but even death is not sweet enough for him. Instead of dying, he floats in a "delicious hell." He tries to hang himself but fails, leading him to float again.

The lyrics explore the theme of unrequited love, rejection, and the pain that can come with it. The ghost is so in love with Esther that he wants to die for her, but she doesn't even acknowledge his existence. The ghost's desperation is evident in his continued attempts to kill himself, showing that a broken heart can lead someone to take drastic measures.

Overall, the lyrics of "Un Fantôme S'est Suicidé" are both melancholic and poetic, with the vivid imagery of floating and the use of metaphors. The song tells a tragic story of lost love and the futility of trying to hold on to it.

Line by Line Meaning

Un fantôme voulait se tuer
A ghost wanted to kill himself

Il était désespéré.
He was desperate

Un fantôme voulait se suicider
A ghost wanted to commit suicide

La mort n'était pas assez douce
Death was not gentle enough

Un jour il s'est décidé
One day he decided

Il s'est jeté par la fenêtre
He threw himself out the window

Mais désespéré
But desperate

Il a flotté
He floated

Dans ce délicieux enfer
In this delightful hell

Il était amoureux d'Esther,
He was in love with Esther,

Une meurtrière sans coeur
A heartless murderess