Ruby don't take your love to town

April 1st, 2021’
I dedicate my poem today to my father-in-law, Peter Williams who died on April 1st, 1980. Sheila’s father was a serious man who worked as a barrister, and while he was not a natural lover of song (according to my wife, Sheila) he found music in the beat and cadence of the spoken word, particularly when presented in poetic rhythm. Poetry was his love.
I dedicate my song today to six Facebook friends who celebrate their birthday today. They are Doug Morris who lives in Haworth, West Yorkshire: Tony O’Halloran who comes from Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Ireland: Phillip Johnson who lives in London, England: Martin O’Brien who lives in Saint Mullins, Carlow, Ireland: Philip Dalton who lives in Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Ireland. Doug, Tony. Philip, Martin, and Philip enjoy your special day and thank you for being my Facebook friend.

My song today is ‘Ruby, Don’t Take Your Man to Town’. This song was written by Mel Tillis. It is about a paralyzed veteran who lies helplessly as his wife ‘paints herself up’ to go out for the evening without him. He believes that she is going out in search of a lover. As he hears the door slam behind her, he claims that he would murder her if he could move to get his gun, and pleads for her to reconsider. A line in the song about a ‘crazy Asian war’ and the time of the song's release led to the assumption the song was about a veteran of the Vietnam War, though this was never stated in the lyric, and although Tillis stated that the song was about a veteran of World War II.

‘Ruby was first recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1966. Johnny Darrell reached Number 9 on the country charts with the song in 1967 before ‘Kenny Rogers and the First Edition’ released it in 1969. Kenny Rogers wanted to take his group more into the direction of country music. They recorded their version of the song, with Rogers singing the lead, in a single take. The record was a major hit for them. It made Number 1 in the UK ‘New Musical Express’ chart and Number 2 on the official UK ‘Singles chart. In the United States it reached Number 6 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’, and Number 39 on the country chart.
In 1977, now performing solo after the ‘First Edition’ disbanded in early 1976, Rogers made re-recordings of this, and several other ‘First Edition’ hits, for his 1977 greatest hits package ‘Ten Years of Gold’, which topped the US country charts under that title to great success.
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For the father-in-law who died thirty years before I met his daughter, Sheila, I write my poem today in celebration of the accomplished life of Peter Williams. I never had the opportunity of asking him for the hand of his daughter in marriage, but I do hope that the bond we have forged in our love of each other would have led to his approval of me as a man who is worthy of her hand in marriage. On this day, the 30th anniversary of your death Sheila and I express our love for you.

‘LOVE ISN’T LOVE UNTIL IT’S SHARED’ By William Forde.
Love isn't love until it’s shared.
Fear becomes boldness only when it's dared.
Time has no meaning until spent.
Forgiveness is stuck 'til you relent.

Use your compassion to undo wrong.
Use your talents to sing your song.
Hold tight each moment of your dreams.
Nothing is ever what it seems.

Love brings with it, infinite joy,
when every searching heart finds home
and every girl discovers boy.
Matching love waiting to be found,
in an empty throne, your heart is crowned.

(William Forde: Copyright: March 12th, 2018).