When I was a teenager back in the 50's I read a book on Norse Mythology titled "Tales of Odin". The only thing I remember about the book was a bit about a man who came to some place to eat. I don't remember if he was underfunded, or any other reason, but he only ordered one fish ball. As plain as day, like it was yesterday, I remember the description of the line boomed out by the waiter. It went, 'And the waiter roared it though the hall, "You get no bread with one fish ball!".' It was then that I connected the story with the song I remembered from ten years before.

I guess that makes the origin even farther back in time.