you painted up your lips 
and rolled and curled your tinted hair 
ruby are you contemplating 
going out somewhere 
the shadow on the wall tells me the sun ist going down

 

oh ruby, don´t take your love to town

 

it wasn´t me who started 
that old crazy asian war 
but i was proud to go 
and do my patriotic chore 
and ... yes it´s true, that i´m not the man i used to be

 

oh ruby, i still need some company

 

it´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 realize 
but it won´t be long 
i´ve heard them say until i´m not around

 

oh ruby, don´t take your love to town

 

she´s leaving now 
´cause i just heard the slamming of the door 
the way i know i´ve heard it slam one hundred times before 
and if i could move i´d get my gun and put her in the ground

 

oh ruby, don´t take your love to town 
oh ruby, for god´s sake ... turn around