ONE MEATBALL
(Lyrics: Hy Zarat / Music: Lou Singer - based on the
1855 song "The Lone Fishball" by George Martin Lane)
Josh White - 1944
The Andrews Sisters - 1944
Tony Pastor & His Orch. - 1944
Patti Clayton - 1944
Candy Candido - 1944
Nat Gonella & His Georgians (vocal: Helen Mack) - 1945
Bing Crosby & Lauritz Melchior (Radio Transcript) - 1947
David Carroll & His Kookettes - 1964
Dave Van Ronk - 1966
Ry Cooder - 1970
Josh White Jr. - 1979
Calvin Russell - 1993
Baby Jane Dexter - 1993
Professor Elixer's Southern Troubadours - 1995
Bjorn Berge - 2002
Also recorded by:
Les Brown & His Band Of Renown; Ann Rabson; Annie Ross;
Frank Sinatra & Lou Costello (Radio Transcript); Mel Davis;
Mustard's Retreat; The Red Clay Ramblers; Mick Kolassa;
Rocky Zharp ....... and others.
As recorded by JOSH WHITE:
A little man walked up and down
He found an eating place in town
He read the menu through and through
To see what fifteen cents could do
One meatball, one meatball
He could afford but one meatball
He told the waiter near at hand
The simple dinner he had planned
The guests were startled, one and all
To hear that waiter loudly call ... What?
"One meatball, one meatball
Hey, this here gent wants one meatball"
The little man felt ill at ease
Said, "Some bread, sir, if you please"
The waiter hollered down the hall
"You gets no bread with one meatball
One meatball, one meatball
Well, you gets no bread with one meatball"
The little man felt very bad
One meatball was all he had
And in his dreams he hears that call
"You gets no bread with one meatball
One meatball, one meatball
Well, you gets no bread with one meatball"
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As recorded by THE ANDREWS SISTERS
with Vic Schoen & His Orch., 23rd October 1944:
A little man walked up and down
And found an eating place in town
He looked the menu through and through
To see what fifteen cents could do
One meatball, one meatball
He could afford but one meatball
He told a waiter near at hand
The simple dinner he had planned
The folks were startled, one and all
To hear that waiter loudly call
"One meatball, one meatball
Hey, this here gent wants one meatball"
The little man felt ill at ease
And said, "Some bread, sir, if you please"
The waiter's voice roared through the hall
"You gets no bread with one meatball
One meatball, one meatball
You gets no bread with one meatball"
The little man felt very bad
The one meatball was all he had
Now in his dreams he hears that call
"You gets no bread with one meatball
One meatball, one meatball
You gets no bread with one meatball"
One meatball, one meatball
You gets no bread with one meatball
********************
THE LONE FISHBALL (1855)
There was a man went up and down
To seek a dinner through the town
What wretch is he who wife forsakes
Who best of jam and waffles makes
He feels his cash to know his pence
And finds he has but just six cents
He finds at last a right cheap place
And enters in with modest face
The bill of fare he searches through
To see what his six cents will do
The cheapest viand of them all,
Is "Twelve and a half cents for two fishball."
The waiter he to him doth call
And gently whispers, "One fishball"
The waiter roars it through the hall
The guests they start at "One fishball!"
The man then says, quite ill at ease
"A piece of bread, sir, if you please"
The waiter roars it through the hall
"We don't give bread with one fishball"
Who would have bread with his fishball
Must get it first, or not at all
Who would fishall with fixin's eat
Must get some friend to stand a treat
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(Contributed by Nancy - July 2003)
(Updated by Mel Priddle - August 2016)
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