You've painted up your lips
And rolled and curled your tinted hair
Ruby, are you contemplating
Goin' out somewhere?The shadow on the wall
Tells me the sun is going down
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to townIt wasn't me that started
That old crazy Asian war
But I was proud to go
And do my patriotic choresAnd yes, it's true
I'm not the man that I used to be
Oh, but Ruby
I still need some companyIt's hard to love a man
Whose legs are bent and paralyzed
And the wants and the needs
Of a woman your age, Ruby, I realizeBut it won't be long, I've heard them say
Until I'm not around
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to townShe's leaving now
'Cause I just heard the slamming of the door
The way I know
I've heard it slam one hundred times beforeAnd if I could move
I'd get my gun and put her in the ground
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town
Ruby, for God sake's turn around