Ruby
Eddie-Berman Lyrics

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Ruby reads the table
The way that she was taught
She knows everything that's coming
And everything that's not

I first seen her down in Long Beach
She was mobbed by movie stars
They fell on their hands and knees

And begged to see her scars

A world of worthless numbers
Are almost all that fill my head
But I can still remember
The first thing ruby said"

"For to recognize the feeling
Abandon all the meaning you have known
I will play Suzanne
And you will play her sinking stone"

With Ruby's thumb
The world unspun
And I was overcome

Seaweed filled the city
Children filled the sea
That's the last I saw of Ruby
And Ruby saw of me

Ruby, meet me in the morning
Ruby, open up your door
Ruby, I never knew that I could be
So heart broke before

The words swam out like minnows
On cold currents through her window right to you
But nothing else would matter, as everyone was shattered
By the news

And now that I'm finally seeing
Things are exactly what they seem
Every single night
I have the same damn dream

Ruby comes in shaking
Waking all the neighbors from their sleep
Saying things have gone too far
And your promise has become too hard to keep

As ruby spun

Beneath the midnight sun
I am overcome

Overall Meaning

The song "Ruby" by Eddie Berman is a bittersweet and reflective piece about a female protagonist of the same name. The opening lines, "Ruby reads the table, the way that she was taught. She knows everything that's coming and everything that's not," creates an image of a person who is well-informed and presumably well-versed with the ways of the world. It seems like there is a certain mystique around this character as the lyrics go on to describe how movie stars were attracted to Ruby and begged to see her scars. The singer exists in a world where the mind is filled with "worthless numbers" but Ruby's words stand out as meaningful and profound. She urges the singer to abandon their preconceived notions and "recognize the feeling." The following lines, "I will play Suzanne, and you will play her sinking stone" are enigmatic but hint at a shared experience between the two.

As the song progresses, the tone becomes more wistful, and the singer seems to be reminiscing about a past love. He recalls a time when Ruby was the center of the world, but then seaweed filled the city and children filled the sea. These phrases add a surreal and apocalyptic quality to the song, and it's possible that they're a metaphor for something larger than the characters themselves. The song ends on a sad note with Ruby and the singer drifting apart, despite his desire to be with her again. The last lines of the song, "As ruby spun, beneath the midnight sun, I am overcome," are a beautiful image of a person overwhelmed by their emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Ruby reads the table
Ruby has a great skill of reading and interpreting situations.

The way that she was taught
Ruby has been trained or educated to have this skill.

She knows everything that's coming
Ruby can predict the future with great accuracy.

And everything that's not
Ruby is also able to identify what is not going to happen.

I first seen her down in Long Beach
The artist met Ruby for the first time in Long Beach.

She was mobbed by movie stars
Ruby was popular and famous, even among celebrities.

They fell on their hands and knees
The stars were so impressed by Ruby that they became humble before her.

And begged to see her scars
The stars wanted to see the evidence of Ruby's struggles.

A world of worthless numbers
The artist's mind is filled with meaningless data.

Are almost all that fill my head
The artist's thoughts are mostly dominated by these numbers.

But I can still remember
Despite this, the singer remembers something Ruby said.

The first thing ruby said
This sentence marks the beginning of Ruby's message to the artist.

"For to recognize the feeling
Ruby is about to share a profound insight with the singer.

Abandon all the meaning you have known"
To experience true understanding, the singer must let go of his preconceived notions.

I will play Suzanne
Ruby is going to perform an action to help the singer understand.

And you will play her sinking stone"
The artist is being cast in the role of a person who is in a difficult situation.

With Ruby's thumb
Ruby is about to take control.

The world unspun
Ruby successfully causes the singer's reality to shift.

And I was overcome
The singer is emotionally affected by Ruby's actions.

Seaweed filled the city
A surreal, unbelievable event is happening in the city.

Children filled the sea
The children are unharmed by the event and seem to be enjoying it.

That's the last I saw of Ruby
This event marks the end of the artist's personal relationship with Ruby.

And Ruby saw of me
Ruby may still be aware of the singer's existence or actions.

Ruby, meet me in the morning
The artist is addressing Ruby, asking for a future meeting.

Ruby, open up your door
The singer is inviting Ruby to be receptive to him.

Ruby, I never knew that I could be
The singer is admitting his surprise over the strength of his own emotions.

So heart broke before
This is the first time the singer has experienced such a deep level of sadness.

The words swam out like minnows
A message is conveyed to someone through an indirect and obscure means.

On cold currents through her window right to you
The message is sent through a channel that passes by the intended recipient but not directly to them.

But nothing else would matter, as everyone was shattered
A catastrophic event has occurred that renders all other concerns irrelevant.

By the news
The news brings widespread devastation and sadness.

And now that I'm finally seeing
The artist is realizing something significant that was not apparent before.

Things are exactly what they seem
The reality of a situation is precisely what it appears to be.

Every single night
This experience occurs with alarming frequency.

I have the same damn dream
The singer experiences a recurring nightmare.

Ruby comes in shaking
Ruby appears to the artist in a disturbed state of mind.

Waking all the neighbors from their sleep
Ruby's agitation is so noticeable that it affects other people in the vicinity.

Saying things have gone too far
Ruby expresses concern that a situation has escalated beyond her control.

And your promise has become too hard to keep
The singer faces a difficult challenge of fulfilling a commitment.

As ruby spun
Ruby takes control of the situation in a dramatic way.

Beneath the midnight sun
This event occurs in an unusual, otherworldly environment.