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 E Dm                         C 
Oh Ruby ...    don't take your love to town  
 
   Dm                             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 
And yes, it's true that I'm not the man I used to be  
 
Dm C F E Dm                       C 
Oh Ruby...  I still need some company  
 
     C                                 F             G   Dm  
It's hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed  
 
        C                                    F         G 
And the wants and needs of a woman your age, Ruby I realize  
 
Dm                                           G 
But it won't be long, I've heard them say, until I'm not around  
 
F C F E Dm                         C 
Oh Ruby... don't take your love to town  
 
  
And 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  
 
      Dm                               G                     Dm 
And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground  
 
   C F E Dm                        C 
Oh Ruby...  don't take your love to town  
 
   F E Dm   
Oh Ruby...for God's sake, turn around