Sinking of the Reuben James


Have you heard of the ship called the good Reuben James?
Filled with hard fighting men, of honor and of fame
She flew the stars and stripes of the land of the free
Now she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea
           
chorus:
Tell me what were their names,
tell me what were there names?
did you have a friend on the good reuben james?
                                                                           2x
It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
that we watched for the u-boat, and waited for the fight
the fire and the rock and the great explosions roar
and they laid the reuben james on the cold ocean floor
             chorus
One hundred men went down to their dark watery grave
when that good ship went down only forty four were savrd
twas the last day of october that they saved forty four 
from the cold icy water and the cold icy shore
              chorus
Now there are lights in our country so bright
and in the farms and the villages their telling of the fight
Now our mighty battleships steam the bounding main
and remember the name of the good reuben james
            chorus

Fred Hellerman lyric:
Now years have passed since those brave men are gone
and the cold icy waters are still and are calm
many years have passed, and still I wonder why
the worst of men must fight and the best of men must die 


typed and submitted by Jordan Hirsch