Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James
Manned by hard fighting men both of honour 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?
Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?
It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
That we watched for the U-boat and waited for the fight
Came a whine and a rock, and the great explosion roar
And they laid the Reuben James on the cold ocean floor
Tell me what were their names...
One hundred men went down to that dark watery grave
When the good ship went down only forty-four were saved
It was the last day of October that they saved the forty-four
In the cold icy waters by the cold ocean shore
Tell me what were their names...
Now tonight there are lights in our country, so bright
In the farms and in the cities, they are telling of that fight
And now our mighty battleships will steam the bounding main
And remember the name of the good Reuben James
Tell me what were their names...
Well, many years have passed since those brave men were gone
And these cold icy waters are now still and are calm
Many years have passed, but I still wonder why
The worst of men must fight and the best of men must die
Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names?
Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?