A few months ago, my fellow Vietnam Vet, and Old Mud Marine, Annishinabe, Fond Du Lac Rez Resident, and beer drinkin’ bud Jim Northrup, offered my wife and I a free room at the Black Bear Casino, with the entertainment being Kenny Rogers. The casino and free room were what we needed. Kenny Rogers hadn't done anything for my ears since he had been with The First Edition.
We went to the concert with the rest of the seniors and after warning the Old Ladies behind us not to be trying to throw their skivvies at Kenny, I dozed peacefully. That’s what Kenny sings - lullabies. What woke me was the First Edition had covered an old Mel Tillis song with the title of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”. It was a country song with the story of a disabled vet who had a woman who was doin’ him wrong.
When the song came out in ’69, I had been in and out of the local VA hospital. Later, I would also marry a Ruby, who turned out to be a lyin’, cheatin’, sneaky, two-timin’ bitch, who got everything I owned with the help of the courts - leaving me houseless, carless, and trustless!
ANYWHOO, back to Ruby. According to Tillis, his neighbor in Florida was a severely wounded WWII VETERAN who married his English nurse and brought her home. This Ruby liked to run around. In real life, this Vet knew he would be dead soon, so he took Ruby with him. He blew her away and then himself! So this song has been therapeutic for my sick ol’ ass!
I was happy to hear Ruby!
RAT
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