I think this may be earlier than the "One Meatball" we're familiar with.
-Joe Offer- (JRO)

The Lone Fish-Ball
(from Heartsongs, 1909)

There was a man went up and down
To seek a dinner thro’ the town.
There was a man went up and down
To seek a dinner thro’ the town.
(repeat words of stanza each time)

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 had 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 Fish-balls."

The waiter he to him doth call,
And gently whispers, "One Fish-ball."

The waiter roars it through the hall,
The guests they start at "one Fish-ball."

The guest 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 Fish-ball."

MORAL

Who would have bread with his Fish-ball,
Must get it first, or not at all.

Who would Fish-ball with fixin’s eat,
Must get some friend to stand the treat.

MIDI file: ONEFIS~1.MID

Timebase: 192

Name: The Lone Fish-Ball
Text: By Songwriter unknown
Copyright: (from "Heartsongs," 1909)
Key: Eb
TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 67 110 0256 0 67 000 0032 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 65 110 0256 0 65 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 65 110 0256 0 65 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 67 110 0096 0 67 000 0000 1 75 110 0096 0 75 000 0000 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 67 110 0256 0 67 000 0032 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 65 110 0256 0 65 000 0032 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 68 110 0094 0 68 000 0002 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 70 110 0094 0 70 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 63 110 0160 0 63 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the March 10 MIDItext 98 software and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:The Lone Fish-Ball
M:3/4
Q:1/4=120
K:Eb
BBBG3|BAAF3|AAAF3|cBAGeB|BBBG3|BAAF3|AAAFcB|
DE7/4||