by Woodie Guthrie

Have you heard of the ship called the good Ruben James
Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame
It flew the stars and strips of the land of the free
And tonights she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea

Cho: What were there names, tell me what were their names
Did you have a friend on the good Ruben James
What were their names, tell me what were their names
The men who went down on the good Ruben James

It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
That they waited for the U-boat and waited for a fight;
Then a whine, and a rock and a great explosion roar
And they laid the Ruben James on the cold ocean floor

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 fighting battleships will steam the bounding main
And remember the name of the good Ruben James