Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
by Mel Tillis
"'Ruby' is based on
a true story of a man from my home town in Florida. This
particular man was injured during World War II in
Germany and was sent to England to recuperate. While he
was in England, he met a nurse that helped him nurse him
back to health. He married her and brought her back
home. They lived behind our house in a little apartment.
His wounds kept recurring, and he'd have to go to the
veterans hospital to get treated. Then one day he went
to the hospital and became temporarily paralysed. This
lasted four or five months. During this time, his
problems started increasing. 'Ruby' stood by him till
she could stand it no longer. Then she started fixing
her hair, putting flowers in it, painting her lips, and
walking back and forth in front of the pool room. She
was lonesome, needed attention. She was a good girl,
actually, but the way I wrote it, I put the blame on
her. At the time I didn't know what I was going on,
because I was only 12 or 13 years old. Twenty-three
years later I realized what was happening. I just
changed the wars and brought it up to date and wrote the
story in about an hour. Eventually, it was a couple of
years ago, he killed her and himself too. That's a true
story."
—Mel Tillis
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
You have 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.
For it wasn't me that started that old crazy Asian war
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chores
Oh, I know, Ruby, that I'm not the man I used to be
But, Ruby, I still need your company.
It's hard to love a man who's legs are bent and
paralysed
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 a
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.
