One Meatball – From Josh White’s recording (1944)

Repeat: Am G F E7 Underlined lyrics indicate where to change chords.

Am G F E7 A little man walked up and down, Am He found an eating place in town, He read the menu through and through, To see what fifteen cents could do.

Am G F E7 Am G F E7 G One meat-ball … one meat-ball… Am G F E7 Am G F E7 He could af-ford but one … meat-ball.

He told the waiter near at hand, The simple dinner he had planned. F 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!" E7

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!” (last chorus X2)

Prof. George Martin Lane wrote “The Lone Fish-Ball” in 1855 and it became a popular student song at Harvard. Folklorist Francis James Child worked it up as a fake Italian Operetta “Il Pesceballo” performed in 1862 at a fundraiser for the United States Sanitary Commission (precursor to the American Red Cross). You can find the “Il Pesceballo” libretto on Google Books. Tin Pan Alley’s Hy Zaret and Lou Singer updated the song as “One Meatball” in 1944. My hand to God, I am not making this up.

For educational use only – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it Page 18