Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James

Subject: The Good Reuben James
From: Branwen23
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:34 PM

Hi, all.

Looking for lyrics and chords for "The Good Reuben James" for a friend.... anybody got 'em?


-Branwen-

---

The Sinking of the Reuben James in the Digital Tradition database

Search for "Reuben James" threads

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:50 PM

If you put the words [Reuben James] in the box in the top right hand corner the version in the DT will come up. SuperSearch on the main Forum site will bring up related threads.
You can also try this site for the words and some notes. Good hunting!

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Branwen23
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 07:58 PM

thanks for the link, Susanne...

Still looking for chords....

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:01 PM

THE SINKING OF THE REUBEN JAMES is in the DT. The tune is basically a variant of Wildwood Flower (of which the DT supplies an oversimplified MIDI but no chords @ the Reuben James as well as @ Wildwood Flower). "Wildwood Flower" is a widely available tune; I know the chords are in the Joan Baez Songbook and undoubtedly somewhere on the web if not in the Mudcat DT.

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:01 PM

Melody and chords are same as "Wildwood Flower" which I think it has a MIDI in the DT. Does that help any?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Branwen23
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:04 PM

I'm not familiar with Wildwood flower, and even if I were, just knowing that the tune is a variant doesn't help me, since I've never heard either tune before....

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:28 PM

No, but God willing you have a soundcard and can thus acquaint yourself with it from the MIDI.

According to Rod Smith's online encyclopedia,

Wildwood Flower an American song written in 1888 by Maud Irving and J.P. Weber, and popularized by the Carter Family (the original title was "I'll Twine 'Mid the Ringlets"). Perhaps the favorite tune of beginning guitar pickers who want to go beyond strumming and into playing melody lines. The tune was used by Guthrie, Woody for the song "Reuben James". It's interesting to note that the lyrics have become nicely muddled over the years. Faith Petric, writing in her "Folk Process" column in a 1992 Sing Out! gives the original first verse: "I'll twine 'mid the ringlets of my raven black hair,The lilies so pale and the roses so fair,The myrtle so bright with an emerald hue,And the pale aronatus with eyes of bright blue." Those who know the song are invited to compare their version with the above - chances are, you'll have "twine and will mingle" for the first line, and "pale emanita with eyes look like blue" for the fourth, plus a few other minor changes.

A banjo rendition is available in MIDI here, depending on how your mind works may be more helpful than the plain melody in the DT — or maybe both together will help...

Wait, here, Try This!

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Branwen23
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:33 PM

so, is "the Good Reuben James" a variation of that melody, or is it the same? Because if it's a variation, then without knowing what the differences are, this MIDI really doesn't help me much.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:47 PM

Well, there are some places where it (DT Wildwood Flower MIDI) goes down and I would (singing Reuben James) go up and the like, but heck, it's folk-type music, each performer and each performance should vary some. I think you're making it too hard for yourself, us and/or your friend. If none of these MIDIs and links help (one of mine did give chords, after all!), then go to your public library and get the Joan Baez book.

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Branwen23
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:50 PM

I think I'll just try and find the chords to the specific song, not just one that sounds like it... If I'd ever heard the tune, i could probably figure out the differences, but as it is, I'd like to start out with the right tune, and then if I'd like to try my own variation, well, great...

thanks for the suggestions and links, though.


-Branwen-

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 08:58 PM

Oy oy oy, Branwen!

I feel really dissed.

Liland

PS I take back anything I ever said about "variants".

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 09:35 PM

It's the same tune, really! ;-) Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 09:40 PM

Everything I have ever read says it is the same tune. But there are about 6 (variant) versions of WWF in just my tune books,,,,,,LOL (sorry Branwen)

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 25 Oct 00 - 09:43 PM

Yeah, all I meant was the way it sounds in my head isn't exactly the way it sounds on the DT's MIDI (and the way Reuben James sounds in my head is a bit less like the MIDI than is the way WWF sounds in my head). But definitely all variants of the same tune. It's like St. Theodulph vs. Valet Will Ich Dir Geben.

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: ddw
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:30 AM

Branwen,

I don't see that anybody's actually given you the chords for it, so I'll try to do it from the version I do — hope the HTML stuff works. Here goes:

VERSES:
(C) Have you heard of the ship called the (G7) good Ruben (C) James
(C)Run by hard-fighting men both of (G7) honor and of (C)fame
(C) She flew the Stars and (C7) Stripes of the (F) Land of the (C) free
(C) But tonight she's in her grave at the (G7) bottom of the (C) sea.

REFRAIN:
(C)What were their names, (C7) tell me (F) what were their names
Did (G7) have a friend on the the (C) good Ruben James.
(C)What were their names, tell me (Dm) what were their names
Did (G7) you have a friend on the (C) good Ruben James.

Hope this is helpful...

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 12:50 AM

Well, here is the html from the chord chart I had given a link to; if it appears properly spaced I think you'll see that, while not identical, it's compatible.

Wildwood Flower

(Extended Version)

------------------	------------------	------------------	------------------
C          F	C	G7	C
-	C          F	C	G7
C	-	-	C
F	C	-	-
G7	C	-              (Repeat)	------------------

 

8-beat intro.  Play 4-beats for each cell, reading from left to right.
Arranged by Jim Bottorff

 

This Chord Chart may not appear correctly with some browsers.  It should be viewed with a full size window.

The chord names should appear in single rows.   Let me know of any problems.

 

email: [e-mail]

Now we'll see if it works.
Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 10:47 PM

I just posted Wildwood Flower and The Sinking of the Reuben James in La Lilandejo. I hope the links all work and that some of you (hopefully including Branwen) will find the comparison interesting if not valuable... From the MIDIs of the two it should be fairly clear what I meant by calling the RJ tune a "variant" of the WF tune (the biggest variation being in the addition of the chorus).

Liland

PS I welcome comments about my text for Wildwood Flower; I personally think it's a good selection of variants.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Oct 00 - 11:27 PM

Thanks to David for the chord/word combo. The Refrain is not used in Wildwood Flower, but the other section is identical.

Branwen......Reuben James is a song written by Woody Guthrie and Woody wasn't big on tunes.....he liked to steal them and often used some on more than one song. Reuben James is based on Woody's own experience in the merchant marine during WWII.

If you were offended by some of the responses, its because Wildwood Flower is one of the best known songs in folk music and everyone assumed you knew it. Are you familiar at all with the Carter Family or Woody? There are some album clips of Maybelle Carter singing WF on an album on Amazon if you're interested.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: JedMarum
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 09:32 AM

I can only sedond what's been said here, including posting the second verse. I would describe the melody of The Good Reuben James to be a variant of Wildwood Flower. The second verse goes:

100 men went dowm to their dark icy graves
when the good ship went down only 44 were saved
'twas the last evening of October
they saved 44 off that dark Iceland shore

repeats chorus. Great song, Branwen. I'll play it at the next YOBB session (If I can ever get back there). The melody flows nicely out of the chords posted here - but it plays pretty well in G or D, as well - though your melody picking may be a bit more of a reach.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: JedMarum
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 09:36 AM

Oooops!!!

I can only second....

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Oct 00 - 05:48 PM

Well, I've folked quite a bit, and I know the GOod RUeben James (albeit with fractionally different chords) but I don't know "the Wildwood Flower". Is it American or something?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Haruo
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 01:56 AM

Yup. American or something, but then so's the Reuben James unless we've all been lied to. ;-| (But the tune is pretty much identical except for the chorus, lacking in Wildwood Flower.)

Liland

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: The Good Reuben James
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Oct 00 - 07:34 AM

Well, I cannot contribute to the musical discussion here but I can relate a story. Last year we were asked to perform thus song at the unveiling of the Reeuben James memorial in Portland, Maine. Portland was the ship's last port of call before she left on that fateful convoy.

It was a very moving experience. The site is lightly wooded and over looks the bay. It was a beautiful day with sunlight dappling the participants and shining on blue water. The monument is a block of polished granite carved with a likenes of the ship on the face. Listed on the sides are the names of those lost in the attack.

There were 5 of the survivors of the James present, proud old men who still remember their crew mates and that terrible night. The Marines sent an honor guard and there was a crowd of veterans and well wishers there as well. We sang our song, there were speeches, the survivors placed a wreath at the monument, and the Marines fired a salute. Very touching.

To my mind the only flaw in the whole event was the rifle salute. The Marines used M-16's. I'm sorry, but a solemn event like that needs to have a good, deep, authoritative sound to really give the salute meaning. A small caliber high speed round may work fine on the battlefield but it sounds like a child's popgun.

Actually, I guess I can provide some input on the musical discussion. As we prepared for this event we had much the same difficulties as you see above. We could not come up with a definitive set of chords or music. We finally had to just choose one and work at that one. Bronwen, I don't think you will be able to find "the chords to the specific song, not just one that sounds like it". Just take the version you like best and fly with it.