One meatball
David Briggs
Back around the early 70's I heard a song, the subject of which was
someone who had gone into an eatery with only enough money for the 'One
Meat ball' of the song's refrain. Desperately hungry, he asks if he can
have some bread, whereupon the waitress informs him, contemptuously, "One
meat ball, one meatball, ya don't git bread with one meat ball!" Although
this refraim is known to me, none of the rest of the song is. The result,
to the understandable annoyance of my friends and family, is that I
occasionally break into the refrain, and can do notheing further. Does
anybody know any more about the song, and where I could get the rest of
the words? We would all appreciate it. Thank you.
Carl Scheraga
Jeff Fookson
I think the song is by John Jacob Niles and the words as I recall them
are (very approximately)
The little man walked up and down
Found an eatin' place in town
He read the menu through and through
To see what fifteen cents could do.
One meat ball
One meat ball
He could afford
But one meat ball.
He told the waiter near at hand
THe simple dinner he had planned
THe folks were startled one and all
To hear that waiter loudly call
One meat ball
One meat ball
This here gent
Wants one meat ball.
The little man felt ill at ease
He said "some bread, sir. If you please"
THe waiter hollered down the hall
You get no bread
With one meat ball
One meat ball
One meat ball
You get no bread
With one meat ball.
THe little man felt mighty sad
Fifteen cents was all he had
And in his dreams he hears that call
You get no bread with one meat ball
One meat ball
One meat ball
You get no bread
With one meat ball.
Jeff
---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Fookson
Internet: je...@cns.nyu.edu Center for Neural Science
Dept of Psychology
New York University
Phone: (212) 998-7782 6 Washington Place, Rm 866B
Fax: (212) 995-4011 New York, NY 10003
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Stevenson
of call and response pattern--soloist sang line, than the
group sang it--I may be missing a verse or two:
A little man walked up and down
To see what he could find in town
He searched his pockets and his pants
But all he found was two half pence
He searched the menu through and through
To see what two half pence would do
The only thing 'twould do at all
Was just to order one meatball
The waiter bellowed down the hall
"This gentleman here wants one meatball."
The little man then gave a wheeze
and softly murmured "Bread, sir, if you please"
The waiter bellowed down the hall
"You'll get no bread with one meatball."
The little man then went outside
And shot himself until he died
There is a moral to it all
Don't order bread with one meatball
There is another moral too
Take more than two half-pence with you.
So poignant, don't you think?
Deborah Stevenson (stev...@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu)
Jim Kasson
: Back around the early 70's I heard a song, the subject of which was
: someone who had gone into an eatery with only enough money for the 'One
: Meat ball' of the song's refrain. Desperately hungry, he asks if he can
: have some bread, whereupon the waitress informs him, contemptuously, "One
: meat ball, one meatball, ya don't git bread with one meat ball!"
This song is on one of the Josh White records from the late 50's, either
"Josh White" or "Josh at Midnight" I don't have either any more, so I
can't readily find out which.
--
Jim Kasson ji...@netcom.com
Andrew Sundelin
I don't know the words, but they are quite coherent in the excellent version
of this song done on the recent Roy Bookbinder and the Hillbilly Blues Cats
CD. This CD is two or three years old and I highly recommend it in general
if you like acoustic blues with bitchin' harmonica and somewhat goofy lyrics.
I can't remember the name of the CD, but I believe that it is the only one
that they have ever released.
Andrew
Bob Norton
Carl Scheraga
The song 'One Meatball' was a big hit for Josh White in the mid 50's, appearing
on the legendary "Josh at Midnight" album on the Elektra label. The original
song was written by a Harvard professor many years ago-will check on it for you.
Carl D. Neiburger
>a song, the subject of which was
>someone who had gone into an eatery with only enough money for the 'One
>Meat ball' of the song's refrain.
The song actually dates from the Great Depression, or perhaps even
earlier. I don't have the attribution for authorship, but I do have
words here, thanks to "Folksingers' Wordbook," edited by Fred and Irwin
Silber.
-- Carl Neiburger ( ca...@netcom.com )
"One Fish Ball"
[The title is sometimes corrupted to "One Meatball." Each of the lines
below is sung twice:]
A man went walking up and down, to find a place where he could dine in town.
He found himself an expensive place and entered with a modest face.
He took his purse his pocket hence, but all he had was 15 cents.
He looked the menu through and through to see what 15 cents would do.
The cheapest item of them all was 30 cents for two fish balls.
The waiter he, on him did call, he softly whispered, "One fish ball."
The waiter bellowed down the hall, "This creep here wants just one fish
ball!"
The guests they turned, both one and all, to see who wanted one fish ball.
The man then said, quite ill at ease, "And a piece of bread, sir, if you
please."
The waiter bellowed down the hall, "You get no bread with one fish ball."
Who would have bread with his fish ball, must get it first or not at all.
Who would fish balls with fixin's eat, must get some friend to stand a treat.
ji...@vnet.ibm.com
The version I know best is by Dave Van Ronk, and is likely the version
that you remember. I think you can find it on a recent compilcation CD,
but I can't help you with the title.
Jimmie Wilson, WRUW
ji...@vnet.ibm.com
>....the recent Roy Bookbinder and the Hillbilly Blues Cats
>CD. This CD is two or three years old and I highly recommend it in general
>if you like acoustic blues with bitchin' harmonica and somewhat goofy lyrics.
>I can't remember the name of the CD, but I believe that it is the only one
>that they have ever released.
(IMHO) they are both better than that one. His first Rounder release
was called "Bookeroo", and features some great acoustic country/blues
playing. The new one is a live release recorded at a small club in
Athens, OH (Ohio University). It's called "Live Book....Don't Start Me
Talking". As it's name implies, it not only includes some great blues
playing, but also his long rambling introductions to the songs, which
are great all by themselves.
I believe that he also has some earlier (now out of print) stuff on
another label.
Jimmie Wilson, WRUW
russellk on BIX
One Meat Ball was one of Josh White's classic pieces, and
he recorded it several times. His son, Josh White Jr.,
also sings it now, sounding incredibly like his father.
==================================
Russ Kay, Byte Magazine
russ...@bix.com
==================================
Peter K. Siegel
David Briggs wrote:
>
>
>Back around the early 70's I heard a song, the subject
>of which was someone who had gone into an eatery with
>only enough money for the 'One Meat ball' of the song's
>refrain.
This song was popularized among early folkies (the Cafe Society
Sheridan Square crowd of the late 40's, my parents for example)
by Josh White. His 78 of the song on the Asch label (#348-2B)
is the B side of Josh's recording of "Outskirts of Town" which
was also a hit for Big Bill and His Chicago Five.
The label says "One Meat Ball" (sic) was written by Hy Zaret
and Lou Singer.
Peter K. Siegel
Brooklyn, NY
Gary Varner
>Roy Bookbinder has two other Rounder releases besides that one
> His first Rounder release was called "Bookeroo"
>I believe that he also has some earlier (now out of print) stuff on
>another label.
>
>Jimmie Wilson, WRUW
I have an album here in my hands from Flying Fish copyrighted 1979
which I had signed by him in Athens, GA (not OH) in 1982. (Interesting,
BTW, that he dated it. I can't recall another artist dating a
signed album.) I don't recall anything about it other than I liked
him in concert and I hadn't remembered him in years...
____________________________________________________________________
| | |____ Gary Varner "Some of these songs sound good |
| ___| | Philosophy with the volume turned way up, |
| \ . | Texas A&M but it's still folk music to me." |
| \/\ / g-va...@tamu.edu - John Gorka |
|_____\ /__________________________________________________________|
\(
EMTEL Ltd
dbr...@crl.com (David Briggs) wrote:
>
>
>Back around the early 70's I heard a song, the subject
>of which was someone who had gone into an eatery with
>only enough money for the 'One Meat ball' of the song's
>some bread, whereupon the waitress informs him,
>contemptuously, "One meat ball, one meatball, ya don't
>git bread with one meat ball!" Although this refraim is
>known to me, none of the rest of the song is. The
>result, to the understandable annoyance of my friends
>and family, is that I occasionally break into the
>refrain, and can do notheing further. Does anybody know
>any more about the song, and where I could get the rest
>of the words? We would all appreciate it. Thank you.
in 1970. This could be the version you recall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John Wallace
$%@^&#*$%$#*&$^&^%&%^&*(%(()&&
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mike Meyer
"...The little man was very sad
one meat ball was all he had,
and in his head he hears the call
Ya gits no bread with one meat ball."
The song is, oddly enough, called "One Meat Ball", and it appears on
Ry Cooder's first album, entitled "Ry Cooder." The cover art has an
Airstream trailer on it, and Ry Cooder's name in red neon letters, if
I recall. It's on one of the Warner Brothers labels, and should be
available as a midline-priced CD. I seem to remember the song being
written by someone noteworthy, but can't remember the name -- it has
been since the '70s, after all.
I wholeheartedly recommend this album. It has some great slide guitar
work, a wonderful version of Randy Newman's "Old Kentucky Home,"
Woody Guthrie's "Do Re Mi," "Police Dog Blues," and other blues and folk songs.
My personal favorite is the song "Alimony," which features some
wonderfully down-and-dirty electric guitar.
Anyway, hope this helps. I'm sure someone can jump in with more info...
Mike
Mike Meyer me...@tcville.HAC.COM
Image and Signal Processing Lab
Hughes Aircraft EDSG, El Segundo CA
"Shit happens, but it doesn't *just* happen." -- The Karma Police
Mary Loveless
century, with "One Fish Ball" arranged for solo voice and chorus. I'll
bring it in and post the words. Quite a saga, the gist of which has
already appeared. I have a feeling that it may have been one of a whole
body of songs which were standard repertoire for glee clubs, etc. Maybe
minstrel shows, too?
Mary Loveless
Steve G.
: The song is, oddly enough, called "One Meat Ball", and it appears on
: Airstream trailer on it, and Ry Cooder's name in red neon letters, if
: I recall. It's on one of the Warner Brothers labels, and should be
: available as a midline-priced CD. I seem to remember the song being
: written by someone noteworthy, but can't remember the name -- it has
: been since the '70s, after all.
I believe the song was originally written and recorded by Josh White.
--
res...@netcom.com
Andrew Fulop
Andrew Fulop
pretty popular with the folk song set. It is the first cut on side one
of his "No dirty names" album (Verve FTS-3009). Dave said that he had
heard the song only from Josh White. You can probably find the record in
a used record store near a college campus. Andrew Fulop
Martin Fernandez
Ry Cooder also recorded it about 1970 on his first release.
His version at the time was very Tom Waitsian, heavy, pounding
and somewhat strained. The CD is available as an import from
Japan, as is several others, including a live club date from
San Francisco.
Marty Fernandez / KBCS / Bellvue-Seattle