Have you heard of a 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 at
The bottom of the sea

Tell me what were their names
Tell me what were their names
Did you have a friend on
The good Reuben James?
What were their names, tell me
What were their names?
Did you have a friend 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
'Twas the last day of October
We saved the forty-four
From the cold ocean waters and
The cold icy shore it was there in the dark
Of that uncertain night
That we watched for the U-boats
And 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

Now tonight there are lights in
Our country so bright
In the farms and in the cities
They're telling of the fight
And now our mighty battleships will
Steam the bounding main
And remember the name of
That good Reuben James