The Sinking of the Reuben James

Cisco HoustonCisco Houston 

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Cisco Houston

Gilbert Vandine 'Cisco' Houston (August 18, 1918 – April 29, 1961) was an American folk singer and songwriter who is closely associated with Woody Guthrie due to their extensive history of recording together. more »

Year:

1963

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Have you heard of that 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
On the bottom of the sea.

[Chorus]
Tell me, what were their names,
What were their names?
Did you have a friend
On the good Reuben James?
What were their names?
Tell me what were their names,
The men that went down
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.
It was the last day of October
That we saved the forty-four
From the cold icy waters
Off that north Iceland shore.

[Chorus]

It was there in the dark
Of that uncertain night
That we watched for the U-boats
And we 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.

[Chorus]

Now tonight there are lights
In our country so bright
In the farms and the cities
They are telling of this fight.
And now our mighty battleships
Will steam the bounding main
And remember the name
Of that good Reuben James.

[Chorus]

Well many years have passed
Since those brave men are gone
And those cold ocean waters now
Are still and they're calm.
Well many years have passed
But still I wonder why
The worst of men must fight
And the best of men must die.

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