You've painted up your lips and rolled and curled your tinted hair,
Ruby, are you contemplating going out somewhere?
The shadows on the wall tell me the sun is going down,
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.
It wasn't me that 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 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 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, please don't take your love to town.
