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