The sinking of the reuben james chords by
Highwaymen

N/A•1 views•

Key: Bb major•

Intro 1

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

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Verse 1

D

D

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G

G

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C

C

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On Oct. 31st 1941 the United

G

G

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D

D

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States destroyer Reuben James,

G

G

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sailing in the waters west of Iceland,

was attacked torpedoed and sunk

C

C

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G

G

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without warning.

Verse 2

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

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95 lives were lost in this 1st U.S. warship

D

D

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G

G

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to go down in the 2nd World War.

Verse 3

G

G

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What were their names tell me

C

C

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Am

Am

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what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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good Reuben James?

G

G

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Verse 4

C

C

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G

G

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Have you heard of a ship called

D

D

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G

G

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the good Reuben James?

C

C

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G

G

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Manned by hard fighting men

D

D

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G

G

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both of honor and of fame.

She flew the Stars and Stripes

C

C

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G

G

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for the land of the free,

C

C

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G

G

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but tonight she's in her grave

D

D

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at the bottom of the sea.

G

G

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Verse 5

Tell me, what were their names tell me,

C

C

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Am

Am

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what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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D

D

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good Reuben James?

G

G

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What were their names tell me

C

C

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Am

Am

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what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

good Reuben James?

Verse 6

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

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It was there in the dark of

D

D

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G

G

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that uncertain night.

That we watched for the U- boats

D

D

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G

G

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and waited for the fight.

Then a whine and a rock and a

C

C

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G

G

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great explosion's roar.

C

C

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G

G

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And they lay the Re uben James

D

D

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G

G

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on that cold ocean floor.

Verse 7

G

G

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Tell me, what were their names tell

C

C

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Am

Am

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me what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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D

D

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good Reuben James?

G

G

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What were their names, tell me,

C

C

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Am

Am

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what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

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good Reuben James?

Verse 8

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

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Many years have passed since

D

D

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G

G

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these brave men are gone.

C

C

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G

G

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Those cold icy waters now

D

D

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G

G

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are still and are gone.

Many years have passed but

C

C

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G

G

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still I wonder why

the worst of men must fight and

D

D

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the best of men must die!

G

G

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Verse 9

Tell me, what were their names,

C

C

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Am

Am

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tell me what were their names?

D

D

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Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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D

D

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good Reuben James?

G

G

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C

C

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What were their names,

Am

Am

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D

D

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tell me, what were their names?

Did you have a friend on the

G

G

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C

C

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G

G

View detailed G chord diagram in our app.

good Reuben James?

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An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

An acoustic guitar head with tuning pegs

Tuning:Standard Open Tuner

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 7 Strings

B ₁

E ₂

A ₂

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 12 stringStandard

E ₃

E ₂

A ₃

A ₂

D ₄

D ₃

G ₄

G ₃

B ₃

B ₃

E ₄

E ₄

Guitar Tuner 6 stringPower

Guitar Tuner 6 stringOpen

Guitar Tuner 6 stringExtras

G ₄

C ₄

E ₄

A ₄

CavaquinhoStandard

D ₄

G ₄

B ₄

D ₅

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

Bass Tuner 5 Strings

B ₀

E ₁

A ₁

D ₂

G ₂

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

C ₂

G ₂

D ₃

A ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

E ₅

G ₃

G ₃

D ₄

D ₄

A ₄

A ₄

E ₅

E ₅

Balalaika Tuner

E ₄

E ₄

A ₄

G ₄

D ₃

G ₃

B ₃

D ₄

Banjo Tuner 4 Strings

C ₃

G ₃

D ₄

A ₄

Chords

G
C
D
Am

Capo: 3

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

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Frequently asked questions

The original key of The sinking of the reuben james by Highwaymen is Bb major.

The primary chords used in The sinking of the reuben james are Bb, Eb, F, Cm.

To play in the original key, place your capo on the 3 fret.

Yes, this version uses open chords like Bb, Eb, F, Cm, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of The sinking of the reuben james is approximately 182 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of The sinking of the reuben james using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for The sinking of the reuben james. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Highwaymen.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add The sinking of the reuben james to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for The sinking of the reuben james by Highwaymen on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.