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SONG TITLE: RAVISHING RUBY
PERFORMER: TOM T HALL
SONGWRITER: TOM T HALL
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1973
COMMENTS: Like often with Mr. Hall, the best way to go into a song is to get a handle on the lyrical theme and the character he is describing. What he is after is the quiet and proud anguish of a beautiful Mexican girl still obsessed with the father who abandoned her years ago. She has worked as a waitress for years, waiting for his return "either way, dead or alive."
Besides having one of his best developed and most unforgettable melodies, this record is also noteworthy for the mariachi based arrangement. The flamenco guitar commentary running under much of the song will kick your ass when eventually you notice it. Much more obvious are the mariachi trumpets that open the song, providing the first hook and fills throughout, speaking on behalf of Ruby. Check out the vibes. Unlike most modern country music, Tom T's records more than amply repay the effort to listen closely and repeatedly for the details.
Sure would like to hear Los Lobos take a swing at this.