Ruben James,
in my song you live again
And the phrases that I rhyme
are just the footsteps out of time
For the time when I knew you,
Ruben James
Ruben James, all the folks around Madison
County cussed your name
Gents of no account,
sharecropping colored men
Who'd steal anything he can
And they always put the blame
on Reuben James
Reuben James,
you still walk the first field of my mind
The faded shirt, the weathered brow
The calloused hand upon the plow
Loved you then and I love you now
Reuben James
Floor of gray,
the gospel of Madison
County died with child
And although your skin was black,
you was the one that
didn't turn your back
On a hungry white child with no name,
Reuben James
Reuben James,
with your mind on my soul
and the Bible in your right hand
You said, turn the other cheek,
there's a better world waiting for the meek
In my mind these words remain from
Reuben James
Reuben James, you still walk
the furrowed fields of my mind
The faded shirt, the weathered brow,
the calloused hand upon the plow
Love you then and I love you now,
Reuben James
Reuben James, one dark Friday
they brought you from the field
And that lonely pine box
came just to preach her me and the rain
To sing one last refrain
for Reuben James
Reuben James,
you still walk the first field of my mind
The faded shirt, the weathered brow,
the Dallas hand upon the plow
Loved you then and I love you now,
Reuben James
Ruben James