Ruby - Janis Ian

They say she’s not a lady

'Cause every love has its price

Night after night, Ruby

Another man at her side

And each one colder than the last

The men get older

And the bed lies

The dream dies

And the looks fade too fast

Ruby’s got a past

But when she’s sleeping alone

She dreams of cleansing her soul

Just like they promised in church

But the Sundays seem to come and go

Like the preachers on the radio

Above the noise, and the neon

There’s a saxophone

Playing smoky old familiar notes

That float up the stairs

Ruby takes a rose from her hair

Sees her face in the mirror

Wipes her cheek with a tear

Under the make-up, she longs to be touched

Ruby don’t ask for much

And when she’s sleeping alone

She dreams of cleansing her soul

Just like they promised in church

But the Sundays seem to come and go

Like the preachers on the radio

Some sell their bodies for dimes

While others marry

For the houses, and the jewelry

It’s a real thin line

What you charge for your time