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 brought to bear a baby girl
When the 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 and danced in the saloon Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
Reared among the While her mama a Chinese pipe The salad days for didn't last Forced to work and pay her Inside that poor Moulin Rouge A snot-nosed kid had to up fast
and day she toiled and sweat While patrons placed their bets On who would be the first to her in one night the madam screams "Ruby, get to room There's someone there who you're quite a gem"
And the man at the played a tune And everybody and danced in the saloon Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
In hair and a borrowed dress She the stairs scared to death Said a prayer and tiptoed the door But on deaf ears her prayer through a tear she stared at hell Standing in nothing but his drawers
She the whiskered chin eyes and foul-mouthed grin He was the man who the silver star She to turn around and run But he out his big six gun And said, "Hon, you won't get far"
And the man at the piano played a And sang and danced in the saloon Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Jewel
Ruby Jewel up in bed A crimson between her legs as the day she was born But lying there to him her wish she hadn't been If this was all that had in store
Making sure he was She got to her feet his gun and aimed it between his eyes She kept it there til he to So he stare down the barrel too Pulled the once and watched him die
And the man at the piano played a And everybody sang and danced in the Ruby (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby
On a night in nineteen twelve Locked the town's new jail Ruby carved a in the stone When morning came, hacks her out In ankle chains through the crowd Who waited in the mud to watch the
They walked her up the steps Put the around her neck the trap as all the watchers cheered But on the of a cell In a scrawl and misspelled Were the words, 'Ruby Jewel was
And the man at the piano a tune And everybody sang and danced in the Except (Ruby) No, not (Ruby) Ruby