He was born Abe Finkelstein in Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, but grew up mainly in Utica, New York. He became a professional singer as a youngster. Around 1908 he toured with Guy Brother's Minstrel Show, and helped form a vaudeville act "Weston, Fields and Carroll".
His first hit as a songwriter was On The Mississippi (1912) which he wrote the music for with Harry Carroll and Ballard MacDonald supplied the lyrics. In 1914 he wrote the lyrics to Aba Daba Honeymoon, which was revived for the 1950 M.G.M. film Two Weeks With Love and thus got a renewed popularity which brought Fields large royalty incomes during his last two years.
From 1914 onwards he recorded with many bands and for many labels and had a varied career in the recording industry. His 1919 recordings with bandleader Ford Dabney may be the very first recordings of a white singer backed by a black band. For a period Fields also formed a vocal trio with brothers Jack and Irving Kaufman, billing themselves as "The Three Kaufields". Fields also often appeared on records under pseudonyms, for example as "Mr X." on Grey Gull Records and related labels. His last records were made in the early 1940s.
Among Field's most prolific partnerships was the one with band leader and pianist Fred Hall, with whom Fields made plenty of records and co-wrote several songs, often with comic titles like The Shoes We Have Left Are All Right and I Can't Sleep In The Movies Anymore. Hall and Fields also broadcasted together as Rex Cole's Mountaineers.
Retiring to Florida in 1946 he also worked in radio on WKAT Miami. He suffered a stroke early in 1953 and was killed in a fire at Littlefield Convalescent Home a little later the same year.
Hunting The Hun
Arthur Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By all the soldier boys in each brigade
It's called Hunting the Hun
This is how it is done!
First you go get a gun
Then you look for a Hun
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
All you need is just a little Limburger cheese
Give 'em one little smell
They come out with a yell
Then your work is done
When they start to advance
Shoot 'em in the pants
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
First you go get a gun
Then you look for a Hun
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
You can capture them with ease
All you need is just a little Limburger cheese
Give 'em one little smell
They come out with a yell
Then your work is done
When they start to advance
Shoot 'em in the pants
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
I met a soldier and he told me
It's just the latest thing across the sea
It's the game that is new
They're all doing it too!
First you go get a gun
Then you look for a Hun
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
You can capture them with ease
All you need is just a little Limburger cheese
Give 'em one little smell
They come out with a yell
Then your work is done
When they start to advance
Shoot 'em in the pants
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
First you go get a gun
Then you look for a Hun
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
If you want to bring them out
Offer them a little bit of hot sauerkraut
They come over the top with a pip and a hop
Then your work is done
When they stop in to eat
Cut off their retreat
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
First you go get a gun
Then you look for a Hun
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
You can always make them pain
Let them know there's going to be a pinochle game
They come over the top with a pip and a hop
Then your work is done
When they first show their face
Crump 'em with a mace
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
The lyrics to Arthur Fields's song "Hunting The Hun" depict a game that the soldier boys in each brigade are playing in France during wartime. The game is called "Hunting the Hun" and is played by first getting a gun and then looking for a Hun. Once the Hun is found, the soldier boys start running after them and ultimately capture them with ease, using just a little Limburger cheese to lure them out of hiding.
The game comes to an end when the Hun starts to advance, and the soldier boys shoot them in the pants. The song also suggests that offering Huns hot sauerkraut or inviting them to a game of pinochle can also lure them out, making them easy to capture. The song's lyrics are humorous and depict a lighthearted way to deal with the harsh realities faced by the soldiers fighting in the war.
Line by Line Meaning
Over in France there's a game that's played
Soldiers play a game in France.
By all the soldier boys in each brigade
The game is played by every soldier in each brigade.
It's called Hunting the Hun
The game is called Hunting the Hun.
This is how it is done!
This is how the game is played.
First you go get a gun
To start playing, first get a gun.
Then you look for a Hun
Look for a German soldier, or Hun.
Then you start on the run for the son of a gun
It's a chase, run after the German soldier fast.
You can capture them with ease
Capturing German soldiers can be easy.
All you need is just a little Limburger cheese
Use Limburger cheese to lure the soldiers out of hiding.
Give 'em one little smell
Make them smell the cheese.
They come out with a yell
The German soldiers will come out when they smell the cheese.
Then your work is done
Once you capture the soldiers, the game is over.
When they start to advance
When the soldiers start to move towards your position.
Shoot 'em in the pants
Shoot them in the pants to stop their advance.
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
This is how the game Hunting the Hun is played.
I met a soldier and he told me
The singer met a soldier who told him about the game.
It's just the latest thing across the sea
Hunting the Hun is the latest popular game among soldiers overseas.
It's the game that is new
Hunting the Hun is a new game.
They're all doing it too!
All soldiers are playing the game as well.
If you want to bring them out
If you want to lure the German soldiers out of their hiding places.
Offer them a little bit of hot sauerkraut
Use hot sauerkraut to entice them out.
They come over the top with a pip and a hop
The soldiers will come out of hiding quickly.
When they stop in to eat
When the soldiers stop to eat the sauerkraut.
Cut off their retreat
Block their escape route, trapping them.
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
This is how the game Hunting the Hun is played.
You can always make them pain
There are other ways to catch the soldiers.
Let them know there's going to be a pinochle game
Tell them that there will be a card game, Pinochle played.
They come over the top with a pip and a hop
The soldiers will come out to play, hopping and jumping.
When they first show their face
When the soldiers show their face for the card game.
Crump 'em with a mace
Hit them with a club like weapon called a mace.
That's the game called Hunting the Hun!
This is how the game Hunting the Hun is played.
Contributed by Leo T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.