"The Sinking of the Reuben James" by The Kingston Trio

Folk song about the first American ship sunk in World War II.

http://ondeafears.com

The USS Reuben James was the first American ship sunk in World War II, on October 31, 1941. Although the United States was officially neutral at the time, President Roosevelt had ordered the Navy to provide support to the United Kingdom in her fight against Nazi Germany. The Reuben James was escorting military material when she was torpedoed by a German submarine.

Woody Guthrie, at the time singing with Pete Seeger in the Almanac Singers, wrote "The Sinking of the Reuben James" (also known as simply "Reuben James") immediately thereafter. While the song sounds like a rousing patriotic anthem, it's worth noting that both Seeger and Guthrie were pro-Soviet Communists and were opposed to U.S. involvement in World War II, until Hitler's betrayal of Stalin caused them to shift their views 180 degrees and support U.S. intervention. Had the sinking happened prior to the dissolution of the Hitler-Stalin pact, it is quite likely that no song at all would have been written, or, if one had, the sentiments expressed would have been quite different.

The verses are to the tune of "Wildwood Flower," most famously recorded by the Carter Family, and the chorus is original to Guthrie.

This version is by the Kingston Trio. Some folk music fans do not like the Kingston Trio, quite possibly simply a backlash against the massive popularity they enjoyed in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. I'm no expert on folk and no purist--all I know is that they sing great together and that there is a lot of power in those guitars and vocals--"Reuben James" sounds great.

I threw this one together myself. The song famously asks, "What were their names?" I've answered that.

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[IntuitiveJules]

I thank you for taking time to put this together. My grandfather was the radio officer Paul L. Magaris who perished. So much information and telegrams my mother kept in her scrapbook.. She was only 10 when he went down on the Reuben James. I have some twists and turn story about how my grandfather ended up on the Reuben James. 1) he changed commissions with a fellow naval radio officer that had a family emergency 2) the comission he traded with this officer was the USS Arizona. "Fate"

[daisytrench]

Thank you for memorializing these men. "Many years have passed and still I wonder why the worst of men must fight and the best of men must die." May they, and all who fought in service of their country, rest in peace.

[SBRS33]

My grandfather was assigned to this ship but he slept in.

[antifreetrader]

@drakesucks This is not a political presidential forum,,i withdraw my Ron Paul comment but i totaly do not agree with you....isolationism when you consume 21% of the worlds goods means at 8% of the worlds population you are a economy till our free traders send all our jobs to china and mexico and allow tax loop holes for such eco terrorrist corperations, next why be the world cop and let other countries use resources to build infustructure that we waste on military crap to defend them?

[WALTERBROADDUS]

FFG 57 is in service to day as the USS Ruben James.

[tlee51ftw]

@UncleMikeNJ That era's Ron Paul, Republican senator Robert Taft would not have allowed a DOW at that time. What would have happened is the rather borderline aid we were sending Europe would have been stopped.

[tlee51ftw]

@LagunaWSU2 The best line in the whole song.

[tlee51ftw]

@drakesucks I did not say all technology, but even the pentagon has cut a few contracts as unneeded. We spend way to much on the military.

[tlee51ftw]

@bescalanteaz I'm pretty well versed on history, and my comment about benefits was to show that some military supporters will not cut a bloated military budget but are willing to cut benefits to the poor, the sick, the hungry, the homeless but not their benefits. It is hypocritical and the military budget is way too big. There can be many cuts without damage to national security. Republican Eisenhower warned of the "military-industrial complex" and we apparently didn't listen.

[gerard55ish]

We know of the Reuben James here on the other side of the world. My children sang in memory of the USS Reuben James at a school concert about 17 years ago at Kurow High School, North Otago, New Zealand. I have served in the Royal Navy and have an interest in naval history and warships.

[drakesucks]

@tlee51ftw we need the new technology because it going to be real fun using bullets against directed energy weapons

[drakesucks]

@antifreetrader ron paul is an inbred hick who would bring us back to pre-ww2 isolationism which damn near destroyed us Barack Obama 2012