G    Dm
You've painted up your lips and rolled and curled your tinted hair,
  C                          F             G
Ruby are you contemplating going out somewhere?
    Dm                             G                    Dm
The shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down,
  C  F  C  Dm                             C
Oh Rub-------y, don't take your love to town.


 Dm                                F         C
It wasn't me who started that old crazy Asian war,
 Dm                              F         G
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore,
 Dm                                 G                   Dm
And yes, it's true that I am not the man I used to be,
  C  F  C  Dm                             C
Oh Rub-------y, I still need some company.


  C                                  F           G       Dm
It's hard to love a man whose legs have been paralyzed,
  C                                             F          G
And the wants and the needs of a woman your age, Ruby I realize,
    Dm                                       G                    Dm
But it won't be long, I've heard them say, until I'm not around,
  C  F  C  Dm                             C
Oh Rub-------y, don't take your love to town.


(pm)
She's leaving now cause I just heard the slamming of the door,
(pm)
The way I know I've heard it slam one hundred times before,
    Dm                                       G                 Dm
And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground,
  C  F  C  Dm                             C
Oh Rub-------y, don't take your love to town.



  C  F  C  Dm                             
Oh Rub-------y, for God sakes turn around.