Reuben James
Kingston Trio - "Evening With The Kingston Trio"

C                                     G7          C
Have you heard of the ship called the good Rueben James?
                                   G7           C
Armed by hard-fighting men both of honor and of fame.
                                      F           C
She flew the Stars And Stripes of the land of the free.
                                      G7            C
But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea.


[Chorus:]
C                                      F
Tell me what were their names. Tell me what were their names.
    G7                       C
Did you have a friend on the good Rueben James?
                                       F
Tell me what were their names. Tell me what were their names.
    G7                       C
Did you have a friend on the good Rueben James?


One hundred men went down to their dark and watery grave.
When that good ship went down, only fourty-four were saved.
T'was the last day of October when they saved the fourty-four
From the dark, icey waters of that cold Iceland shore.

[Chorus]

It was there in the dark on that cold and watery night.
That they watched for the U-boat, and they waited for a fight.
Then the might ship was struck, and a great explosion roared,
And they laid the Rueben James on the cold ocean floor.

[Chorus]

Many years have passed since those brave men are gone.
Those cold, icey waters - they're still and they're calm.
Many years have passed, and still I wonder why
The worst of men must fight, and the best of men must die.

[Chorus]