I heard Claudia Schmidt perform this little gem on "Prairie Home Companion," so I asked Claudia to sing it at a concert. She said it "wasn't her style" and that she sang it only that one time and didn't want to sing it again - so I've heard this song performed only once. I just happened to come across it in a songbook I picked up last week for a buck at the library book sale. Such a deal!
The last line makes a good sing-along chorus.
-Joe Offer
THE NEW RESTAURANT
(Malvina Reynolds)
I stopped into a restaurant and Oh, it was a dream!
From half a mile up the highway you could see the fixtures gleam.
They heated up the coffee cups with extra pressure steam,
But the food was terrible.
The waitresses were charming, they had such lovely eyes,
Their smiles all matched exactly and their uniforms likewise,
Their hair was piled as sweetly as the topping on the pies,
But the food was terrible.
The decor was a symphony in orange, gold, and white,
The silver and the crockery would fill you with delight,
The menu was a masterpiece, so witty and so bright,
But the food was terrible.
They must have spent a fortune on the furniture and such,
On the place mats and the napkins, just like linen to the touch,
So the budget for the kitchen wasn't really very much,
And the food was terrible.
Another generation will forget the taste of meat.
Of tomatoes from the garden and of bread that's made of wheat,
And they'll never even notice, when it's plastic that they eat,
That the food is terrible.
words and music by Malvina Reynolds
© Schroder Music Company, 1964
MIDI file: THENEW~1.MID
Timebase: 192
Name: The New Restaurant
Text: By words and music by Malvina Reynolds
Copyright: Copyright © Schroder Music Company, 1964
TimeSig: 2/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 69 110 0160 0 69 000 0032 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 71 110 0094 0 71 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 71 110 0160 0 71 000 0032 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 72 110 0094 0 72 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 69 110 0094 0 69 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 66 110 0094 0 66 000 0002 1 67 110 0336 0 67 000 0240 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000
EndThis 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 New Restaurant
M:2/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
A4A2A2|A2A2A2A2|A2A2G2G2|G2E2G4|G2G2A2A2|
A2A2A2A2|A2A2B2B2|B2G2B4|B4c2c2|c2A2c2c2|
c2A2G2G2|G2A2E4|F2^F2G4|-G8|F8|-F4E2D2|C7/2||^^