In Nineteen and A who was hot to trot a fine little bijoux to the world With a for a makeshift doc In a cat house far from Her brought to bear a baby girl
the child screamed from life's first slap The said, "Kid, get used to that You'll never meet a day isn't cruel" And she her babe in a petticoat a bottle and made a toast Here's to my bastard, Ruby Jewel
And the man at the piano played a And everybody sang and in the saloon Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
among the guttersnipe While her puffed a Chinese pipe The salad days for Ruby didn't to work and pay her dues Inside that poor man's Moulin A snot-nosed kid had to grow up
Night and day she toiled and While brothel patrons their bets On who would be the first to her in Then one night the screams "Ruby, get to thirteen There's someone who thinks you're quite a gem"
And the man at the piano played a And sang and danced in the saloon Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
In done-up and a borrowed dress She the stairs scared to death Said a prayer and tiptoed the door But on deaf her prayer fell 'Cause a tear she stared at hell there in nothing but his drawers
She the whiskered chin Bloodshot eyes and grin He was the man who wore the star She tried to turn and run But he out his big six gun And said, "Hon, you won't get far"
And the man at the played a tune And everybody sang and in the saloon Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Jewel
Ruby woke up in bed A crimson between her legs Naked as the day she was But lying next to him her wish she hadn't been If this was all living had in store
sure he was asleep She quietly got to her Found his gun and aimed it between his She kept it there til he to So he stare down the barrel too Pulled the trigger once and him die
And the man at the played a tune And everybody sang and danced in the Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Jewel
On a night in nineteen twelve inside the town's new jail Ruby carved a in the stone When morning came, lead her out In chains right through the crowd Who waited in the mud to the show
walked her up the gallows steps Put the rope around her Dropped the trap as all the cheered But on the wall of a In a scrawl and misspelled Were the words, 'Ruby Jewel was
And the man at the piano played a And everybody sang and danced in the Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Jewel