THE SINKING OF THE REUBEN JAMES by Woody Guthrie

Have you heard of a ship called that 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.

(Chorus) Tell me, what where their names, tell me, what where their names?
Did you have a friend on that good Reuben James?
What where their names, tell me, what where their names?
Did you have a friend on that good Reuben James?

One hundred men went down to their dark watery grave.
When that good ship went down only forty-four were saved.
'Twas the last day of October that they saved the forty-four
From the cold icy waters by the cold Iceland shore. (Chorus)

It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
That we watched for the U-boat and waited for a fight.
Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared,
And they laid the Reuben James on the cold ocean floor. (Chorus)

Well, many years have passed since those brave men are gone,
And those cold icy waters are still and they're calm.
Many years have passed, but still I wonder why
The worst of men must fight and the best of men must die. (Chorus)

Enjoy,
Kevin

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 25-Jun-02.