Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town - chords, tab and comments


Written by Mel Tills, it was originally recorded in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, but later same year made more famous by Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition. The song is a commercial protest song (!) about a soldier crippled in the Vietnam War; struggling to keep his wife.
Mel is one of these singer/songwriters who has written successful songs for several artists, but never had a really big hit himself. Besides this, he is probably most known as the man behind "Detroit City", co-written with Danny Dill.
E                                          A                  B7
you've painted up your lips an rolled and curled your tinted hair
E             C#m           A              B7
Ruby are you contemplating going out somewhere?
      A            F#m               G#m          B7
the shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down
    E A ... [F#m - B7]
oh Ruby
B7                       E
don't take your love to town
E major
E
A major
A
 seventh
B7
C sharp minor
C#m
F sharp minor
F#m
G sharp minor
G#m
Mel Tillis