# Mike Jordan's song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 19, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737 "2010-08-19T13:25:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/1 "2010-08-19T13:25:10Z")
[In the column on the origin of playing card suits](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/276/whats-the-origin-of-the-suit-designations-on-playing-cards), the question writer says she knows what hearts and diamonds mean “from Mike Jordan’s song.” Who’s this Mike Jordan? Googling _Mike Jordan,_ of course, shows tons of links relating to the basketball player, and googling _Mike Jordan hearts diamonds_ gives as the top hit Cecil’s column, followed by links about the basketball player. Who’s this singer that’s been made _persona non-grata_ by MJ? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/2 "2010-08-19T14:29:20Z")
I can’t figure it out either. The only thing I can offer by way of help is that this column is from March 1979, so it must be a song that was fairly recent or well known at that time but which has faded into obscurity. I’m hoping I can check some Billboard singles charts. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/3 "2010-08-19T15:03:54Z")
[It looks like Mike was a local Chicago folksinger.](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-09-01/news/9203190552_1_mr-jordan-foley-singer-and-songwriter) Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/4 "2010-08-20T04:16:58Z")
Could we ask someone who might know? Like some all-knowing father (or perhaps _Uncle_) figure who might have a syndicated newspaper column and a website? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![madcitypaul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dec6dc/32.png) [@madcitypaul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madcitypaul)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/5 "2010-08-23T13:50:45Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > Could we ask someone who might know? Like some all-knowing father (or perhaps _Uncle_) figure who might have a syndicated newspaper column and a website? > > 😃 I was reading that column too, and after some searching I found this obituary for the singer Mike Jordan: [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-09-01/news/9203190552\_1\_mr-jordan-foley-singer-and-songwriter](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-09-01/news/9203190552_1_mr-jordan-foley-singer-and-songwriter) I’m still looking for the song in question, but it’s a start. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mike-jordans-song/550737/6 "2010-08-23T20:47:25Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > Could we ask someone who might know? Like some all-knowing father (or perhaps _Uncle_) figure who might have a syndicated newspaper column and a website? > > 😃 Uncle Cecil often has amnesia about columns that were written before Little Ed became the editor.