Sinking of the Reuben James

THE SINKING OF THE REUBEN JAMES (To the tune of The Wildwood Flower) Recorded by Johnny Horton Words and music by Woody Guthrie INTRO: D G What were their names, tell me what were their names? A7 D Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James? D A7 D Have you heard of a ship called that good Reuben James? A7 D Manned by hard-fighting men both of honor and fame D7 G D She flew the Stars and Stripes of the Land of the Free D* A7 D But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea. CHORUS D G What were their names, tell me what were their names? A7 D Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James? G Tell me, what were their names, what were their names? A7 D Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James? It was there in the dark of that uncertain night That we waited for U-boats and waited for that 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 On the farms and the cities they're tellin' of that fight And now our mighty battleships will sail the bounding main And remember the men of the good Reuben James. CHORUS Note. From Johnny Horton Makes History - Columbia CS-8269 The REUBEN JAMES was the first American warship lost in World War II, torpedoed by German U-boats on October 31, 1941. The destroyer, which was attacked west of Iceland, was one of a squadron of warships which did out-ranging for the transports and larger ships on convoy.