The inspiration and subject of 'Ruby Tuesday' (1967)

The most widely accepted story is that ‘Ruby Tuesday’ was Keith Richards’ memory of a free-spirited model and former girlfriend named Linda Keith. She was a regular in the London scene, dating Keith in the mid-60s, and was known for her restless, independent nature — the kind of person who’d “change with every new day.” Richards wrote the lyrics after she left him unexpectedly, channeling his confusion into that line about not knowing what to do about her.

But there’s a second, less romantic version. Some sources claim the song was actually about a groupie named Ruby who had a habit of disappearing at will. Richards himself once said it was “about a chick” and that the title came from a diner waitress he met in LA. Regardless, the core is the same: a woman who refused to be tied down, presented with more sympathy than bitterness. Linda Keith later became famous for “discovering” Jimi Hendrix and introducing him to the Stones’ manager, but she never confirmed she was Ruby Tuesday.