Song lyrics to One Meatball (Lyrics: Hy Zarat / Music: Lou Singer – based on the 1855 song “The Lone Fishball” by George Martin Lane)
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”
Performances
- 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
- Frank Sinatra & Lou Costello on The Abbott and Costello Radio Show episode, “Frank Sinatra”
