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Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James |
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Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame? |
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She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free |
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But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea. |
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Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names, |
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Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James? |
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What were their names, tell me, what were their names? |
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Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James |
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Well, a hundred men went down in that dark watery grave |
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When that good ship went down only forty-four were saved. |
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'Twas the last day of October we saved the forty-four |
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From the cold ocean waters and the cold icy shore. |
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It was there in the dark of that uncertain night |
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That we watched for the U-boats and waited for a fight. |
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Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared |
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And they laid the Reuben James on that cold ocean floor. |
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Now tonight there are lights in our country so bright |
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In the farms and in the cities they're telling of the fight. |
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And now our mighty battleships will steam the bounding main |
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And remember the name of that good Reuben James. |
