Ruby and Carlos Songtext
von James McMurtry
Ruby and Carlos Songtext
Ruby said "You′re gettin' us in a world of hurt
Down below the Mason-Dumbass Line the food gets worse
I can′t go back to Tennessee
That NASCAR country's not for me
Go on if you think you must"
Carlos packed his drums up in the dark of night
Ruby standing just outside the front porch light
Chain-smokin' Camel straights
The sky off to the east got gray
And he rolled off in a cloud of dust
The grey colt nickered at the gate
She said "You′re right, it′s gettin' late
You and me got work to do
We can′t be burnin' daylight too"
She took down the long lead rope
And stayed off that slippery slope
The aspen trees were turnin′ gold up top
The talk was buzzin' round the beauty shop
"Wasn′t he barely half her age?"
"Well that's just how they do nowadays"
"We should all have been so lucky"
And by spring she'd had the run of the freeborn men
Ruby turned fifty in a sheep camp tent
Her body still could rock all night
But her heart was closed and locked up tight
Potato fields all muddy and brown
The gossip long since quieted down
And after one more Coggins test
Pourin′ coffee for the county vet
Pictures on the icebox door
Of Carlos in the first Gulf War
Black-eyed brown and youthful face
Smilin′ back from a Saudi base
And then Carlos on a big bay mare
Heavier now and longer haired
Looking past the saddle shed
From way on back inside his head
And the old vet said "One day Rube
That colt'll break an egg in you
Now and then one comes along
You just can′t ride" and he went on home
And the storm door didn't catch
It blew back hard as she struck a match
But she cupped it just in time
Then she sent that ashtray flyin′
Holdin' back the flood
Just don′t do no good
You can't unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste of tears and a hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you
Carlos took the road gig and he saw it through
He rode the tour bus while the singer flew
Managed out of Music Row
Carlos never saw the studio
Session guys had that all sewn up
He looks out the window and it starts to sleet
Layin' on a friend′s couch on Nevada Street
Lately he′s been stayin' high
Sick all winter and they don′t know why
They don't know why or they just won′t say
They don't talk much down at the VA
And Ruby′s in his thoughts sometimes
What thoughts can get out past the wine
He feels her fingers on his brow
And right then he misses how
She looked in that grey mornin' light
She never shaved like they all do now
He sees it all behind his eyes
And his hands go searchin' but they come up dry
And halfway in that wakin′ dream
Carlos lets the landline ring
He′d never guess it was Ruby callin'
A pin in her hip from the grey colt fallin′
Figure eights and a lazy lope
Stumbled on that slippery slope
Holdin' back the flood
Just don′t do no good
You can't unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste of tears and a hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you
Down below the Mason-Dumbass Line the food gets worse
I can′t go back to Tennessee
That NASCAR country's not for me
Go on if you think you must"
Carlos packed his drums up in the dark of night
Ruby standing just outside the front porch light
Chain-smokin' Camel straights
The sky off to the east got gray
And he rolled off in a cloud of dust
The grey colt nickered at the gate
She said "You′re right, it′s gettin' late
You and me got work to do
We can′t be burnin' daylight too"
She took down the long lead rope
And stayed off that slippery slope
The aspen trees were turnin′ gold up top
The talk was buzzin' round the beauty shop
"Wasn′t he barely half her age?"
"Well that's just how they do nowadays"
"We should all have been so lucky"
And by spring she'd had the run of the freeborn men
Ruby turned fifty in a sheep camp tent
Her body still could rock all night
But her heart was closed and locked up tight
Potato fields all muddy and brown
The gossip long since quieted down
And after one more Coggins test
Pourin′ coffee for the county vet
Pictures on the icebox door
Of Carlos in the first Gulf War
Black-eyed brown and youthful face
Smilin′ back from a Saudi base
And then Carlos on a big bay mare
Heavier now and longer haired
Looking past the saddle shed
From way on back inside his head
And the old vet said "One day Rube
That colt'll break an egg in you
Now and then one comes along
You just can′t ride" and he went on home
And the storm door didn't catch
It blew back hard as she struck a match
But she cupped it just in time
Then she sent that ashtray flyin′
Holdin' back the flood
Just don′t do no good
You can't unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste of tears and a hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you
Carlos took the road gig and he saw it through
He rode the tour bus while the singer flew
Managed out of Music Row
Carlos never saw the studio
Session guys had that all sewn up
He looks out the window and it starts to sleet
Layin' on a friend′s couch on Nevada Street
Lately he′s been stayin' high
Sick all winter and they don′t know why
They don't know why or they just won′t say
They don't talk much down at the VA
And Ruby′s in his thoughts sometimes
What thoughts can get out past the wine
He feels her fingers on his brow
And right then he misses how
She looked in that grey mornin' light
She never shaved like they all do now
He sees it all behind his eyes
And his hands go searchin' but they come up dry
And halfway in that wakin′ dream
Carlos lets the landline ring
He′d never guess it was Ruby callin'
A pin in her hip from the grey colt fallin′
Figure eights and a lazy lope
Stumbled on that slippery slope
Holdin' back the flood
Just don′t do no good
You can't unclench your teeth
To howl the way you should
So you curl your lips around
The taste of tears and a hollow sound
That no one owns but you
No one owns but you
Writer(s): James Mc Murtry Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
