"Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town," Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (1969)
Group Members: Ashley M., Wendy W., Kayla B. Stephanie K.
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About Me
- Erin M.
- BA, English - Wingate University, 2004. MA, English - Clemson University, 2007. GC, Latin American/Latino Studies - University of Louisville, May 2011. PhD, Humanities, University of Louisville (in progress). Adjunct Instructor of English, Jefferson Community & Technical College and Indiana University Southeast.
13 comments:
"Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town," Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (1969)
You've painted up your lips and rolled and curled your tinted hair.
Ruby are you contemplating going out somewhere?
The shadows on the wall tell me the sun is going down.
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.
It wasn't me that started that old crazy Asian War.
But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore.
And yes, it's true that I'm not the man I used to be.
Oh Ruby, I still need some company.
It's hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed.
And the wants and the needs of a woman your age really I realize.
But it won't be long, I've heard them say, until I'm not around.
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.
She's leaving now cause I just heard the slamming of the door.
The way I know I heard its slams one hundred times before.
And If I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground.
Oh Ruby, don't take your love to town.
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Oh Ruby, for God's sake turn around......
Hi :) I'm Stephanie. T/TR 9:10-10:25 class. I graduated from PRP in 2007 and I've been working for the YMCA CEP Prgram for over a year now. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and just loving life. Thats my little facts about me. =]
This seems like a really good song (can't really tell yet since I haven't heard it) but the lyrics are very meaningful. I think its very straight foward. You can clearly see Ruby's feelings and the veterans feelings.
Ruby wants to go out and enjoy herself by going out to town. Yet her significant other is paralyzed and stuck in the house. I understand Ruby's feelings for wanting to go out but it shouldn't be a everynight event. She should figure out a way in which her and her loved one can enjoy themselves together otherwise their bond together will just become weaker and weaker.
I do think that it is very selfish of Ruby to constantly be going out. Her significant other did what he needed to do to protect his country yet she is almost punishing him. I do enjoy this song and am looking foward to actually hearing it. :]
hello im Kayla Tues-Thurs 10:35-11:15 class. As for the song it sounds really meaningful. I cant say a whole lot about it just because i've never heard this song before. It's really clear and vivid you can almost see a visual of the song itself even without hearing the song. It's not a song just about drugs and money and girls lol it's something that happens in our everyday life. It could be really true.
Hello Ashley, Kayla, and Stephanie,
My name is Wendy and I was born in 1965. I remember this song from when I was a little girl. I can remember the chorus and some of the lyrics. When I read the lyrics I didn't know I was surprised to find out this song was about a Vietnam vet and his woman. The song is pretty short and straight forward with the lyrics. It's about a paralyzed Vietnam vet who is longing for his woman to stay home and spend more time with him. I believe you can look at the song from different perspectives though. First, from the view of the vet who wants his woman to stay home. He thinks she is going out too much and needs her company. Second, from the view of Ruby. I can imagine it would be hard for her to take care of a paralyzed man. There is not enough from the song to tell what kind of people they are. He could be a patriotic man and she could be a peace loving woman to the extremes, you just don't know. It sounds like they haven't spoke much about each others needs or come to a compromise they could both live with.
Wendy W.
hey ashley, kayla, and wendy;
I completely agree with wendy when she said that there are clearly two points of view in this song. You clearly see the differences between the characters in the lyrics.
I also agree with kayla when she said that this seemed like a situation that could be true. I believe thats very true becasue many people got injured in the vietnam war and came home to their loved ones and were forced to lead completely different lives.
When you actually listen to this song its very upbeat, which suprised me. They also used many instruments that are not used very often nowadays. It's a really good song just to listen to and actually focus on the lyrics.
Hello Ashley, Kayla, and Stephanie,
Sorry I'm late posting. I had computer trouble Monday, and Tuesday I just ran out of time with the kids and voting and working. I agree with Stephanie that Ruby shouldn't be going out evernight enjoying herself, but I wonder if she is actually going out that much. Maybe she is just going out on the weekend over a long period of time and that's why the vet hears the slaming of the door a hundred times. It would be more understandable if she is staying home with him during the week and then going out on the weekend verses going out everynight. The vet in the song seems to understand the wants and needs of a young woman her age and can live with that. It seems maybe his needs of her company are not being met maybe even when she is there. I also agree with Kayla that it is something that could really be true that happens in everyday life. I believe it holds true in the Vietnam era and still holds true in this day and age with the current war and past wars. There are still veterans coming home changed from what they were when they left their significant other. People are staying together and maybe not talking to each other the way they should. I also wanted to comment on the last part of the song when he says if he could move he would get his gun and put her in the ground. I believe no matter how cruel she may be to him or seem to him, he shouldn't be killing her. I wonder if he has thought about killing himself?
Wendy W.
hey everyone =]
I do agree with Wendy when she said that the vet shouldn't be trying to kill his significant other over this disagreement. I also wonder as she did if he's ever thought about killing himself. Which I must say he probably has going through the dramatic events of the war.
This song reminds me of the motion picture pearl harbor. Simply for the fact that when Ben A. died Liz Tyler moves on and completely changes her life, then he returns and nothing will ever be the same. It's the same in the song. Once the vet returned from war nothing was ever the same between them.
Well it's been fun :)
Hi, I'm Ashley M., I'm in the Tues/thurs 9:10 to 10:35am class. I graduated from Seneca High School in 2004, and currently work for a sitter service. I've never heard this song before.. but you can tell that the writer is trying to express his feelings... its a sad song, because his girl keeps leaving him alone and he is stuck paralyzed at home. That must be a horrible feeling. I think there are probably a lot of american soliders out there that could relate to this song.
Hi its ashley m again.. I apparently didnt get the memo on doing these blogs on the correct days.. so I'm posting them all at once. I agree with Stephanies comment saying "I do think that it is very selfish of Ruby to constantly be going out. Her significant other did what he needed to do to protect his country yet she is almost punishing him." That really made me think about my relationship and how maybe somethings need to change. Then wendy being closer in age to the time when this song was wrote gave a very good explanation on the song, she even pointed out the different feelings between the two people in the song. After listening to the song I actually kinda liked it as well, its nice to hear music that isnt all about drinking and getting high!
hey hey guess who? its Ashley M again.. bet you couldnt guess huh? haha. Anyways, I agree with Wendy when she wrote "The vet in the song seems to understand the wants and needs of a young woman her age and can live with that." Its crazy that even though they are together, that he is understanding enough to say that he understands why she needs to get out, but I dont think he should have to be alone. I think that war changes people and can make you more violent when you return. When the vet says that he would like to get his gun and put her in the ground that is horrible.. because even if they dont work out i think violence is never the answer! After reading the end of the song, it made me think about the movie "jarhead" because that movie shows how crazy the soliders become during and after war. Which would be a perfect relationship of the ending of this song. Well I hope you all didnt get to bored reading all 3 of my comments at once! Sorry :(
Hello Ashley, Kayla, and Stephanie,
I'm having a really hard time trying to think of something to post this time. I agree with Stephanie when she said that she thought after going through the dramatic events of the war the vet probably has thought about killing himself. I've seen news reports that say that the ratio of vets from the Iraqi war killing themselves are higher than previous wars. I've also seen news reports saying that the statics could be higher due to the fact that they don't have a acurate number. I've never been paralyzed but I would imagine I would wonder about ending my life. With that said, I believe that thou shall not kill others or themselves. Maybe the vet in the song needs to find something else to occupy his time. He could find something that interests him that would be rewarding in his life instead of waiting for Ruby. I also agree with Ashley when she says that she doesn't think that the vet should be alone. Everybody needs someone to talk to, be it a friend, a co-worker, or a significant other. If the vet found something else in his life, maybe he wouldn't be so lonely. I still believe it sounds as if the two in the song need to really talk to each other to come up with a compromise or end the relationship.
Wendy W.
Hello everyone in the group. It's Kayla again a little late on the 2nd and 3rd posting been really sick latley. I agree with Stephanie, going out is fun and it's all in fun and good times but everynight, like stephanie says though it should not be an every night thing, and leaving the veteran home alone and stuck in the wheelchair.
Wendy w. made some good point as well taking care of someone who is paralyzed CANNOT be an easy task for anyone especially at what appears to be a young age like the woman in the song. But again coming the point of the veteran it's understanble wanting to spend time with someone you love especially after being gone from that person for so long. Wendy I agree completely with you you can at at this song from so many different stand points.
Hello everyone once again hows it going?
Everyone's comments are very true about this song. I believe we all agree that this is a really sad situation for a couple to go through. I agree with Ashley when she said that when a person goes off to war and then returns home, that person and everything else that has changed in that period of time will never be the same as it was before that person left. War is and can be the worst thing imaginable, and of course when someone goes through such a tramatic change like this, it can be a big problem in a relationship. Instead of Ruby going out on town everynight maybe she needs to sit down and talk to him and some how work things out. She needs to choose him or going out all the time.
I also agree with wendy when she brings up both feelings from each person. Me personaly i couldn't choose sides just because in a way I can see where she is coming from, she's young and wants to have fun, and maybe she just dosn't feel like the relationship is going any where any more since the tramatic event happend. I could also see where he is coming from, he's in love with Ruby and it breaks his heart when she leaves him to go out on the town every night.He seems to be really depressed maybe even suicidal.
After reading the lyrics to this song it made me think about the movie "Saving Private Ryan". After someone fights in the war everything changes for them. Whether it's something tramatic like not being able to walk again, loosing a limb,mentaly or even physicaly your mind halfs to adjust. Somethings change after seeing the crazy comotion that vetrans see and are put through. Don't you agree? Well its been interesting reading everyone's blogs about this song. Very nice opinions and comments.
Kayla B.
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