Red
Helens Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Big ol' Ruby Red Dress
Wanders β€˜round the town
Talkin' to herself now
Sometimes sittin' down.
Don't you get too close now-
Ruby runs away
Poor ol' Ruby Red Dress
You caught her on a sorry day
I can hear her say,

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Please, leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Oh, leave me alone,
Please leave me alone,
Yes leave me,
Leave me…

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Leave, leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Go, leave me alone,
Please leave me alone,
Oh, leave me,
Leave me…

Big ol' Ruby Red Dress-
Everybody laughs
(They) say she's got no future,
An' never made no past.
Somethin' hurt that Ruby
Somethin' she can't bare,
You look at her real close now,
An' see a little tear.
When she says now,

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Please, leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Oh, leave me alone,
Just leave me alone,
Yes leave me,
Leave me…

Leave me alone
Won't you leave me alone?
Please, leave me alone
Now leave me alone
Oh, leave me alone
Just leave me alone
Oh leave me,
Leave me

Some folks say some farm boy
Oh, from Tennessee
Taught it all to ruby
Then just let her be
Her daddy tried to hide it
Tried to keep things cool
But somethin' happened to ruby
She broke down to a pool
Who just said now,

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Please, leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Oh, leave me alone,
Please leave me alone,
Yes leave me,
Leave me…

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Please leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Go, leave me alone,
Please leave me alone,
Yes leave me,
Leave me…

Leave me alone,
Won't you leave me alone?
Please, leave me alone,
Now leave me alone,
Oh, leave me alone,
Please leave me alone,




Yes leave me,
Leave me…

Overall Meaning

In Helen's song Red, the singer describes a character known as Ruby, who is dressed in an extravagant ruby red dress and wanders around town talking to herself and sometimes sits down. When someone tries to get too close, Ruby runs away. The singer empathizes with Ruby, understanding that something has hurt her deeply and that she can't bear it. People laugh at Ruby, saying she has no future and never made any past. It is revealed that a farm boy from Tennessee possibly taught Ruby something, but he then just let her be. Ruby's father tried to hide it and keep things cool, but something happened to Ruby, and she broke down to a pool, saying, "Leave me alone."


The lyrics are symbolic, with Ruby representing someone who has been hurt and is dealing with emotional pain. Despite her extravagant dress and apparent confidence, she runs away when someone tries to get too close, signifying a fear of vulnerability. The farm boy from Tennessee is also symbolic, perhaps representing someone who provided Ruby with hope, but ultimately was not there for her when she needed him the most, leading to her breakdown.


Overall, the song is a poignant portrayal of someone dealing with emotional pain and trying to find ways to cope.


Line by Line Meaning

Big ol' Ruby Red Dress
Helen describes the appearance of a woman named Ruby, who wears a big, red dress.


Wanders β€˜round the town
Ruby wanders around the town aimlessly, with no clear destination or purpose.


Talkin' to herself now
Ruby talks to herself, indicating that she may be experiencing mental health issues or feeling alone.


Sometimes sittin' down.
Ruby sometimes takes breaks and sits down, perhaps because she is feeling tired or overwhelmed.


Don't you get too close now-
Helen warns the listener not to get too close to Ruby, perhaps because she is unpredictable or may react negatively.


Ruby runs away
If someone gets too close, Ruby may run away, further indicating that she may be struggling with mental health issues or feeling alone.


Poor ol' Ruby Red Dress
Helen expresses sympathy for Ruby's situation and implies that she is struggling.


You caught her on a sorry day
Helen explains that Ruby may not always be in a bad mood, but that the listener may have encountered her on a particularly difficult day.


I can hear her say,
Helen implies that she has heard Ruby speak these words before and is familiar with her struggle.


Leave me alone,
Ruby repeatedly asks to be left alone, indicating that she is feeling overwhelmed and struggling with her emotions.


Won't you leave me alone?
By phrasing her request as a question, Ruby makes a plea rather than an order or demand.


Please, leave me alone,
Ruby adds a polite request in addition to her initial plea, perhaps hoping that the listener will be more understanding or empathetic.


Oh, leave me alone,
By adding the interjection 'oh', Ruby emphasizes her distress and sense of urgency.


Now leave me alone,
Ruby's request becomes more insistent or impatient with the addition of 'now.'


Just leave me alone,
Ruby simplifies her request and removes any politeness or hesitation.


Yes leave me,
By adding 'yes', Ruby acknowledges that her repeated requests may be frustrating to the listener, but reiterates her need to be left alone.


Big ol' Ruby Red Dress-
The song returns to describing Ruby's appearance, reminding the listener of her distinctive clothing choice.


Everybody laughs
People in the town may make fun of Ruby or find her behavior strange, which further contributes to her sense of isolation and loneliness.


(They) say she's got no future,
Helen implies that Ruby's situation is compounded by town gossip and rumors, which may be hurtful or untrue.


An' never made no past.
The rumors about Ruby may also include speculation or judgment about her past, which can feel unfair or painful to her.


Somethin' hurt that Ruby
Helen speculates that something in Ruby's life or past has caused her to experience pain or distress, which may be contributing to her current struggle.


Somethin' she can't bare,
The pain that Ruby is experiencing may be difficult for her to tolerate or cope with, and she may feel overwhelmed as a result.


You look at her real close now,
Helen encourages the listener to take a closer look at Ruby, perhaps to consider her situation with greater empathy and understanding.


An' see a little tear.
Helen reveals that Ruby is crying, indicating that she is deeply upset and in need of support and understanding.


Some folks say some farm boy
The song shifts to discussing an alternative explanation for Ruby's situation, suggesting that a certain farm boy may have contributed to her distress and mental health struggles.


Oh, from Tennessee
The farm boy in question is from Tennessee, adding a personal detail to the story.


Taught it all to ruby
The song suggests that the farm boy taught Ruby something, but does not specify what that may be.


Then just let her be
The farm boy may have taught Ruby something and then abandoned her, leaving her to grapple with her struggles on her own.


Her daddy tried to hide it
Ruby's father may have known about her struggles but tried to keep them hidden, further contributing to her sense of isolation and loneliness.


Tried to keep things cool
Perhaps Ruby's father hoped that by keeping the situation hidden, he could protect her from further judgment or gossip from the townspeople.


But somethin' happened to ruby
Despite her father's efforts, something happened to Ruby that caused her to experience pain and distress.


She broke down to a pool
The exact nature of Ruby's breakdown is not specified, but it is clear that it was significant enough to cause her a great deal of pain and distress.


Who just said now,
Helen implies that Ruby is the one who is speaking and asking to be left alone, emphasizing her agency and autonomy.


Go, leave me alone,
Ruby's request becomes more forceful with the addition of 'go', indicating that she is becoming more desperate or frustrated.


Please leave me alone,
Despite her forceful tone, Ruby continues to add a polite request for the listener to respect her boundaries and leave her alone.




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Wil Smith

I was a musician at the Tonight show when she came on. One of the horn players was sick, but recovered. Anyway this show was phenomenal!!! What many people dont realize is that during Carson's time- they were know to have the best band in the business!!!

scottsdaleglenn

Rest In Peace dear Helen Reddy. You were the voice of a generation in the 1970’s and beyond. We love you.

John Young

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John Young

A great ground breaker for female singers in The 70.s an

Sylvia

To those of us aged 50 and up: Those were the days!!! We sure had something special in the 70s, didn't we? Hugs to my generation who grew up in the 70s!!! πŸ€—β€οΈπŸ€˜β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ

John Pulaski

πŸ‘β€οΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ

Dayna Swan

Yes we did......and right this moment I am there again......

Russell Candy

Amen Sister AMEN!!!

Fred A

We almost made it good for everyone. We got so close to equality, or at least allowing an open dialogue to discuss our differences. Sad that we allowed something to divide us again.

My hope is that young people today will do better than we did. Progress has no chance with hatred.

Evin Kleinman

@Tennessee Ridgerunner yes yur in!

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