The Sinking of the Reuben James
Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston Lyrics
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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.
The sinking of the Reuben James is a mournful ballad written by Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston, which reflects on the loss of the United States Navy destroyer USS Reuben James during World War II. The song is a tribute to the brave men aboard the ship who fought and died for their country. The haunting lyrics describe the sinking of the ship and the loss of over a hundred men who were on board. The songwriter asks what their names were and if anyone knew anyone on the ship. The tragic events are remembered with melancholy and sadness throughout the song.
The song tells a compelling story about the bravery of the men on the Reuben James and the senseless loss of life during wartime. The lyrics are a poignant reminder that war inevitably takes a significant human toll. Guthrie and Houston's song offers an emotional tribute to the sailors who perished on the Reuben James and serves as an enduring memorial to their sacrifice.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you heard of that ship
Do you know about the ship we're talking about?
Called the good Reuben James
Its name was the good Reuben James.
Manned by hard fighting men
It was crewed by strong, skilled fighters.
Both of honor and fame?
Were they known for their bravery?
She flew the Stars and Stripes
The ship raised the American flag proudly
Of the land of the free
Symbolizing freedom and independence.
But tonight she's in her grave
Regrettably, tonight the ship could no longer continue its duty.
On the bottom of the sea.
It sank to the ocean floor
Tell me, what were their names,
Can you remember the names of those involved?
What were their names?
Once again, what were their names?
Did you have a friend
Did you know anyone personally?
On the good Reuben James?
On board the ship when it sank?
Tell me what were their names,
Please, tell me their names?
The men that went down
Those who perished
On the good Reuben James?
On the doomed ship, the good Reuben James?
Well a hundred men went down
There were a hundred casualties
In that dark watery grave
They sank into the watery depths of the sea
When that good ship went down
The ship went down when they did
Only forty-four were saved.
A total of forty-four people lived through the tragedy
It was the last day of October
On October 31st
That we saved the forty-four
We rescued the remaining forty-four people
From the cold icy waters
From the frigid arctic ocean water
Off that north Iceland shore.
Off the coast of northern Iceland.
It was there in the dark
In the darkness out at sea
Of that uncertain night
During a night filled with uncertainty
That we watched for the U-boats
We were watching out for enemy submarines, the U-boats
And we waited for a fight.
We anticipated an attack.
Then a whine and a rock
We heard an ominous whine and felt an impact
And a great explosion roared
A massive explosion deafened us
And they laid the Reuben James
And the ship, the good Reuben James rested
On that cold ocean floor.
On the chilling ocean floor.
Now tonight there are lights
Currently the cities and towns are gleaming with lights
In our country so bright
Our country is illuminated brightly
In the farms and the cities
In rural and urban areas
They are telling of this fight.
They are recounting this battle
And now our mighty battleships
Our powerful warships now
Will steam the bounding main
Will sail fiercely through the vast, open sea
And remember the name
And never forget, the name was
Of that good Reuben James.
None other than the brave vessel, the good Reuben James.
Well many years have passed
Decades have elapsed
Since those brave men are gone
Since those courageous men passed away
And those cold ocean waters now
The ocean that swallowed them is now
Are still and they're calm.
Quiet and unruffled.
Well many years have passed
Many years have gone by
But still I wonder why
Yet, I still question why
The worst of men must fight
The most cruel and unjust are the ones who must engage in battle
And the best of men must die.
While sadly the most virtuous and admirable people have to die
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@normajomalley
My great uncle Charles C Hayes was lost at sea on the USS Reuben James - only 19 years old. He was 3 years older than my father who looked up to him and was devastated by the loss. 3 months later my father Robert enlisted in the US Navy just after he just turned 17. His ship would be sunk the USS John Penn in August 1943 killing 90 but my father survived wounded. He served in the military till he retired in 1968. That was followed by a civilian career working for the County Veterans Bureau for about 15 years. He had PTSD and other injuries, but served the veterans, widows and children.
@communismcanfixit3732
goddamn
@barb6698
Our friend, Earl Jaeggi, was aboard the Reuben James when it sunk. He was one of those who survived. Earl died last week. One week after his 97th birthday. Earl was a very great man. Our hearts are broken.
The sacrifice of the US merchant marine has never been properly acknowledged, since they were not considered combatants, but civilians; they kept the lifelines open.
I met, in my youth, a sailor who had been torpedoed 3 times; at the time I did not realize what this really meant.
@s.marcus3669
I can't add anything more to what you stated. The Merchant Marine got short shrift of the WWII accolades. @
@toddrainer6542
@ As USN and USMM sailor, I agree.... BUT, we do all know that the James was a US Navy Destroyer and that the USN had been in an undeclared naval war with Germany for some time when this happened, right?
@capitainehaddoque
My very regards to one of those whose courage helped return my country from barbary.
@petercullen6113
@@toddrainer6542 Interesting information. Do you recommend a book?
@williamlukesinclair1315
I love this song because my third cousin was also lost at sea in WWII. A sailor aboard the USS Marathon, on the night of July 22, 1945, his ship was hit by a Japanese suicide submarine, he and 9 of his buddies drowned in the lower decks. He was 19 years old and died just a few weeks before the end of the war.
@angusmacdonald7187
My dad was Navy in WWII & Korea. He started on the North Atlantic Convoy. This song always broke him.