you ve 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 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 paralysed 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 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 some 100 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