The Sinking of the Reuben James

Have you heard of a ship called the good

Reuben James

Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame?

She flew the

Stars and

Stripes of the land of the free

But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea

Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names

Did you have a friend on the good

Reuben James?

What were their names, tell me, what were their names?

Did you have a friend on the good

Reuben James

Well, a hundred men went down in that dark watery grave

When that good ship went down only forty-four were saved

That was the last day of

October we saved the forty-four

From the cold ocean waters and the cold icy shore

It was there in the dark of that uncertain night

That we watched for the

U-boats and waited for a fight

Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared

And they laid the

Reuben James on that cold ocean floor

Now tonight there are lights in our country so bright

In the farms and in the cities they're telling of the fight

And now our mighty battleships will steam the bounding main

And remember the name of that good

Reuben James