James McMurtry - Ruby and carlos

^GRuby said "^Cadd9You're gettin' us^F# in a world of hurt, ^GDown below the ^Cadd9Mason-Dumbass lin^F#e the food gets worse. ^Cadd9I can't go back to ^F#Tennessee that ^GNASCAR country's n^Cadd9ot for me, G^Emo on...if you think ^F#you must."

^GCarlos packed his^Cadd9 drums up in the ^F#dark of ni

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ght, Ruby's standing just outside the front porch light ^Cadd9Chain-smoking ^F#Camel straights t^Ghe sky off to the east g^Cadd9ot gray, ^EmAnd he rolled off in a ^F#cloud of dust.

And the gray colt

Cadd9.

knickered at th^F#e gate, ^GShe said "You're right it's get^Cadd9ting late. ^EmYou and me got work to do, we can't ^F#be burning daylight too." She

Cadd9.

took down th^F#e long lead rope, ^Gand stayed off that slipper^Cadd9y slope ^{Em F#}

^GThe aspen tree^Cadd9s were turning ^F#gold up top,

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The talk was buzzin 'round the beauty shop

Cadd9.

"Wasn't he barely^F# half her age?, W^Gell that's just how they^Cadd9 do now days ^EmWe should all had been so luck^F#y."

^GBy spring she'd had^Cadd9 the run of the fr^F#ee born men, R

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uby turned 50 in a sheep camp tent

Cadd9.

Her body still could ^F#rock all night,^G but her heart was closed and^Cadd9 locked up tight ^EPotato fields all muddy and brown, t^F#he gossip long since quieted down

^Cadd9And after one more C^F#oggins test, P^Gouring coffee for the^Cadd9 county vet ^EmPictures on the ice box door, of^F# Carlos in the first Gulf War ^Cadd9Black-eyed brown and youthful face, ^F#smiling back from a Saudi base

And then ^Cadd9Carlos on the ^F#big bay mare, ^GHeavier now and^Cadd9 longer hair ^EmLooking past the saddle shed, ^F#From way on back inside his head

^Cadd9And the old vet^F# said, "One day, Rube, t^Ghat colt will break an^Cadd9 egg in you ^EmNow and then one comes along you^F# just can't ride." And he went on home.

^Cadd9And the storm door didn't ^F#catch, It blew ^Gback hard as she struck^Cadd9 a match ^EmBut she cupped it just in time??. And she^F# sent that ash tray

^Cadd9And holding ^F#back the flood, ^GJu

\

st^F# do

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n'^Emt do no good ^Cadd9You can't ^F#unclench your teeth, T^Go

\

ho^F#wl

\

th^Eme way you should ^Cadd9So you curl your ^F#lips around, T^Ghe

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t^F#ast

\

e,^Em the tears, and the hollow sound ^Cadd9That no one owns but you, No o^F#ne owns but you

^GCarlos took the ^Cadd9road gig and h^F#e saw it through,

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He rode the tour bus while the singer flew ^Cadd9Managed out of music row,^F# Carlos never saw the studio, ^EmSession guys had that all sewn u^F#p.

^GHe looks out t^Cadd9he window and it s^F#tarts to sleet,

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Laying on a friend's couch on Nevada Street ^Cadd9Lately he's been ^F#staying high, ^GSick all winter and they ^Cadd9don't know why T^Emhey don't know why or they just won't say, They don't^F# talk much down at the V.A.

^Cadd9And Ruby's in his thou^F#ghts sometimes, ^GWhat thoughts can get out^Cadd9 past the wine ^EmHe feels her fingers on his brow, And r^F#ight then he misses how ^Cadd9She looked in that gray morning light, Sh^F#e never shaved like they all do now ^Cadd9He sees it all behind his eyes, and his^F# hands go searching but they come up dry

^Cadd9And half way in that wakin' dream, ^F#Carlos lets the land line ring ^GHe never guessed it was Ruby calling, The^Cadd9 pin in her hip from the gray colt falling ^EmFigure eight in a lazy lope, ^F#Stumbled on that slippery slope

^Cadd9And holding bac^F#k the flood, ^GJu

\

st^F# do

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n'^Emt do no good ^Cadd9You can't uncle^F#nch your teeth, T^Go

\

ho^F#wl

\

th^Eme way you should ^Cadd9So you curl you^F#r lips around, ^GTh

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e ^F#tas

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te^Em, the tears, and the hollow sound ^Cadd9That no one owns but you, No ^F#one owns but you