The Kingston Trio

 Did not chart, but they included it on their 1961 LP "Close Up"
 Written by Alex Harvey and Barry Etris
 NOT to be confused with a totally different song with the same title by Kenny
 Rogers and the First Edition in 1969


 Have you heard of the ship called "The Good Ruben James?"
 Armed by hard-fighting men both of honor and of 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


 CHORUS
 Oh, tell me what were their names?, tell me what were their names?
 Did you have a friend on The Good Ruben James?
 Oh, tell me what were their names?, tell me what were their names?
 Did you have a friend on The Good Ruben James?


 One hundred men went down to their dark and watery grave
 When that good ship went down, only forty-four were saved
 Was the last day of October, they saved forty-four
 From the dark, icy waters of that cold Iceland shore

 CHORUS

 It was there in the dark of that cold and watery night
 They watched for the U-boat and they waited for a fight
 Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion's roar
 They laid the Ruben James on the cold ocean floor

 CHORUS

 Many years have passed since those brave men are gone
 Those cold icy waters, they're still and they're calm
 Many years have passed and still I wonder why
 The worst of men must fight and the best of men must die

 CHORUS

 *TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: This is a true story. The Ruben James (sometimes
 spelled "Reuben") was the first American ship lost in World War 2