Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician and songwr… Read Full Bio ↴Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, lead singer, and the principal songwriter (along with partner Walter Becker) of Steely Dan.
Fagen is known for his use of complex jazz harmonies, elaborate arrangements, and exacting attention to detail and launched his successful, if sporadic solo career in 1982.

Fagen penned a group of songs based on his experiences as a young man in 1950's America, and the resulting album, The Nightfly, was released in 1982, and is one of the first albums to be recorded entirely digitally. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA. After a quiet time musically (he is reported to have suffered from writers block) for the rest of the 80s he returned in 1993 with Kamakiriad, which is a conceptual album based on a car journey. The album was produced by Walter Becker and represented the first collaboration between the two since Gaucho.

This collaboration reignited Steely Dan and they released two more albums, the Grammy award winning "Two Against Nature" in 2000, and "Everything Must Go" in 2003.

In 2006, Fagen released his third solo album Morph the Cat, which is partly based on old age and death, and was well received by fans.

Fagen's fourth solo album, Sunken Condos, was released in 2012, an event not added to this Wiki until 2018; some of Fagen's fans believe that he would approve.

Ruby Baby
Donald Fagen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
She don't love me, but I love her just the same
Ruby Baby how I want you
Like a ghost I'm gonna haunt you
Ruby Baby when will you be mine

Each time I see you baby my heart cries
I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys

From the sunny day I met you
Made a bet that I would get you
Ruby Baby when will you be mine

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
I'd give the world just to set her heart aflame
Got some lovin' money too

Gonna give it all to you
Ruby Baby when will you be mine

Overall Meaning

In Donald Fagen's "Ruby Baby," the singer begins by identifying the object of his affection as a girl named Ruby. He acknowledges that she does not reciprocate his feelings, though he continues to love her desperately. The singer's love for Ruby is all-consuming and haunting, as he describes himself as being like a ghost that will continue to pursue her. He then declares his intention to steal Ruby away from other love interests that may be vying for her attention. The first time he encountered Ruby, the singer made a bet that he would eventually win her heart. He holds true to that promise, as he offers to give Ruby his love and all the money he has in order to win her over.

Throughout this song, it seems as though the singer is fixated on the idea of possessing Ruby and gaining her love, even in the face of her indifference. This theme of unrequited love is a common one in many love songs. The way that Fagen portrays these feelings, however, is through a sort of obsessive longing that is both compelling and unsettling. In this case, the singer's love for Ruby is so intense that it feels almost like a curse or a burden that he cannot escape.

Line by Line Meaning

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
I have a girl, and she goes by the name Ruby

She don't love me, but I love her just the same
Ruby does not love me, but I still love her as same as ever

Ruby Baby how I want you
Ruby Baby, oh how much I desire you

Like a ghost I'm gonna haunt you
I will pursue you like a ghost, never leaving your side

Ruby Baby when will you be mine
Ruby Baby, when will you become mine?

Each time I see you baby my heart cries
Every time I see you, my heart aches with sorrow

I'm gonna steal you away from all those guys
I am going to take you away from all of your other suitors

From the sunny day I met you
Since the day I first met you under the sun

Made a bet that I would get you
I made a promise to myself that I would win your heart

Ruby Baby when will you be mine
Ruby Baby, when will you belong to me?

I got a girl and Ruby is her name
I have a girl, and she is known as Ruby