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.
Oui Oui Marie
Arthur Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
France He met a girl by chance with ze naughty naughty
Glance, She looked just like a kitty kitty cat, She loved
To dance and play, Tho' he learned no French when he left
The trench, He knew well enough to say:
Wee Wee Marie, will you do zis for me Wee Wee Marie,
Then I′ll do zat for you, I love your eyes they make me feel
So spoony, You'll drive me loony, you're teasing me, Why
Kiss or two from Ma Cherie, Wee Wee Marie, if you′ll
Do zis for me Then I'll do zat for you,
Wee Wee Marie.They walked along the boule boulevard, He whispered
"You for me, Some day in gay Paree I will make you
Marry me", Just then a bunch of bully bully boys,
Threw kisses on the sly, Marie got wise when they rolled
Their eyes, They sang as they passed her by.
The lyrics of Arthur Field's song "Oui Oui Marie" tell a story of a young man named Johnny who falls in love with a girl he meets in France. From the very first moment he sees her, he is completely smitten by her looks and charms. Even though he does not speak French, he tries to impress her with the little he knows and asks her to dance and play with him. He cannot resist her captivating eyes and teasing ways, and desires to kiss her like any other sweetheart would. However, while he and Marie are walking along the boulevard, they are interrupted by a group of "bully bully boys" who throw kisses at her. She is quick to catch on to their insincere gestures and ignores them. The song expresses Johnny's love and desire for Marie and how he promises to do anything she asks, pledging to treat her like a true sweetheart.
The song is a typical example of romantic ditties popular in the early 20th century. The lyrics capture the essence of young love, seen through the eyes of a man who is captivated by a girl he meets in France. The song uses simple and catchy phrases, repetitive lines, and rhyming couplets to create a melody that is easy to remember for the reader to hum or sing. Furthermore, the song is notable for representing a time when the young soldiers who fought in World War I would return home from the trenches yearning for love and companionship, which is evidenced by the song's lyrics and the time of its composition.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor Johnny's heart went pitty pat,
Johnny's heart was beating fast.
Somewhere in sunny France
Johnny was in France.
He met a girl by chance with ze naughty naughty Glance,
Johnny met a girl who looked mischievous.
She looked just like a kitty kitty cat,
She looked cute like a cat.
She loved To dance and play,
She enjoyed dancing and having fun.
Tho' he learned no French when he left The trench,
Johnny didn't learn French while he was in the war trench.
He knew well enough to say:
But he knew a few phrases.
Wee Wee Marie, will you do zis for me Wee Wee Marie,
Johnny asked Marie to do something.
Then I'll do zat for you,
And he promised to do something for her in return.
I love your eyes they make me feel So spoony,
Johnny liked Marie's eyes, they made him feel romantic.
You'll drive me loony, you're teasing me,
Marie was teasing Johnny and he found it exciting.
Why Can't we parleyvous like other sweethearts do,
Johnny asked why they couldn't talk like other sweethearts.
I want a Kiss or two from Ma Cherie,
Johnny wanted to kiss Marie.
Wee Wee Marie, if you'll Do zis for me Then I'll do zat for you, Wee Wee Marie.
Johnny repeated his request and promise to Marie.
They walked along the boule boulevard,
They walked along a street in France.
He whispered 'You for me,
Johnny whispered to Marie that he wanted her.
Some day in gay Paree I will make you Marry me',
Johnny promised to marry Marie one day in Paris.
Just then a bunch of bully bully boys,
Suddenly, a group of boys appeared.
Threw kisses on the sly,
They blew kisses secretly to Marie.
Marie got wise when they rolled Their eyes,
Marie realized they were being flirtatious.
They sang as they passed her by.
They sang as they walked away.
Writer(s): Fred Fisher, Alfred Bryan, Joe Mccarthy
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thewrightstuff7971
Lyric if wrong feel free to comment and ill fix it:
Poor Johnny's heart went pitty pat, Somewhere in sunny
France He met a girl by chance with ze naughty naughty
Glance, She looked just like a kitty kitty cat, She loved
To dance and play, Tho' he learned no French when he left
The trench, He knew well enough to say: Wee Wee Marie, will you do zis for me Wee Wee Marie,
Then I'll do zat for you, I love your eyes they make me feel
So spoony, You'll drive me loony, you're teasing me, Why
Can't we parleyvous like other sweethearts do, I want a
Kiss or two from Ma Cherie, Wee Wee Marie, if you'll
Do zis for me Then I'll do zat for you, Wee Wee Marie.They walked along the boule boulevard, He whispered
"You for me, Some day in gay Paree I will make you
Marry me", Just then a bunch of bully bully boys,
Threw kisses on the sly, Marie got wise when they rolled
Their eyes, They sang as they passed her by.
@josephgarcia7030
the Original Lyrics because everywhere online seems to be listing the Chelsea Wolfe version (even if it's labeled as the Arthur Fields version)
Poory Johnny’s heart went pity-pitty pat somewhere in sunny France
He met a girl by chance, with a naughty naughty glance
She looked just like a kitty-kitty cat, she loved to dance and play
Though he learned no French, when he left the trench, he knew well enough to say...
Oui, oui Maire, will you do this for me?
Oui, oui Marie, then I’ll do that for you!
I love your eyes, they make me feel so swoony!
You drive me loony, you’re teasing me!
Why can’t we parlez-vous, like other sweethearts do?
I want a kiss or two, from ma cherie
Oui, oui Marie if you’ll do this for me.
Then I’ll do that for you, oui oui Marie!
They walked along the boule-boulevard, he whispered “you for me”
“Someday in gay Paris, I will make you marry me!”
Just then a bunch of bully-bully boys threw kisses on the fly
Marie got wise, when they rolled their eyes, they sang as they passed her by...
Oui, oui Maire, will you do this for me?
Oui, oui Marie, then I’ll do that for you!
I love your eyes, they make me feel so swoony!
You drive me loony, you’re teasing me!
Why can’t we parlez-vous, like other sweethearts do?
I want a kiss or two, from ma cherie
Oui, oui Marie if you’ll do this for me.
Then I’ll do that for you, oui oui Marie!
Oui, oui Maire, will you do this for me?
Oui, oui Marie, then I’ll do that for you!
I love your eyes, they make me feel so swoony!
You drive me loony, you’re teasing me!
I cannot learn to speak the Latin French or Greek
But I can kiss the of ma cherie!
Oui, oui Marie if you’ll do this for me.
Then I’ll do that for you, oui oui Marie!
@TheGreekPianist
It’s amazing how Chelsea Wolfe took a legit 1910s song and transformed it into a modern, haunting, emotionally-gripping one. Hearing it play during the end scene in X gave me chills. Terrific film 🖤
@jinabrasser9439
Chelsea Wolfe’s cover of this song at the ending of the film ‘X’ is completely haunting 😌🖤
@laverdadescatolica5
No … much more haunting is it’s inclusion in PEARL … beautiful horror movie
@arlequingrey
@@laverdadescatolica5 ssssshhhhhsshhhsshhhh
@laverdadescatolica5
@@arlequingrey kiss me sweetheart muah 💋 🎵 Oui oui, Marieeee 🎵
@kirdot2011
yes! makes me want her to fix up more songs from this time period cuz her version turned out to be hauntingly beautiful but this original is almost unlistenable
@ix9280
"Au revoir, poor Johnny!"
@jozdelacroix_alfr28
proceeds to get eaten by aligators
@verdew8181
"She looked just like a kitty-kitty-cat", cute lyrics!
@simonlamoureux5440
Dorothyellen w The song is about a guy trying to have Sex with a French Girl. Real Cute.
Still better than current day sex songs though!