In Nineteen and A who was hot to trot Gave a fine bijoux to the world a blacksmith for a makeshift doc In a cat house far from Her goldmine brought to bear a girl
When the child screamed life's first slap The boss said, "Kid, get used to You'll meet a day that isn't cruel" And she wrapped her babe in a Grabbed a bottle and a toast to my gorgeous bastard, Ruby Jewel
And the man at the piano played a And everybody sang and in the saloon Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
among the guttersnipe While her mama a Chinese pipe The salad days for Ruby didn't Forced to work and pay her Inside that poor man's Moulin A snot-nosed kid had to up fast
Night and day she toiled and brothel patrons placed their bets On who would be the to break her in Then one night the screams "Ruby, get to room There's someone there who thinks quite a gem"
And the man at the piano played a And everybody sang and danced in the Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
In hair and a borrowed dress She climbed the stairs to death Said a and tiptoed through the door But on deaf ears her prayer 'Cause through a tear she stared at Standing in nothing but his drawers
She recognized the chin Bloodshot eyes and grin He was the man who wore the silver She tried to turn and run But he out his big six gun And said, "Hon, you get very far"
And the man at the played a tune And sang and danced in the saloon Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
Jewel woke up in bed A pool between her legs Naked as the day she was But lying next to him Made her wish she been If was all that living had in store
Making sure he was She quietly got to her his gun and aimed it between his eyes She kept it til he came to So he could stare the barrel too Pulled the once and watched him die
And the man at the piano a tune And sang and danced in the saloon Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
On a rainy in nineteen twelve Locked the town's new jail Ruby carved a in the stone morning came, hacks lead her out In chains right through the crowd Who in the mud to watch the show
walked her up the gallows steps Put the rope her neck Dropped the as all the watchers cheered But on the wall of a In a tiny and misspelled the words, 'Ruby Jewel was here'
And the man at the played a tune And everybody and danced in the saloon Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Jewel