# Playing cards in song and story **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583 "2006-04-06T15:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/21 "2006-04-06T18:45:08Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > the ace of clubs and spades, the 8 of clubs and spades - ‘dead mans hand’. This was described in a novel I read years ago ( can’t recall the name) about americans held hostage in soviet russia. They were kept in a recreation of an american town where it was their job to train russians on how to act american to assimiliate into american life. [_The Charm School_ by Nelson DeMille](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_mans_hand). ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/22 "2006-04-06T19:24:24Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [_The Charm School_ by Nelson DeMille](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_mans_hand). Thank you! Been a long time and I’m glad someone recognized it. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/23 "2006-04-06T20:24:47Z")
In [Evil Dead](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083907/), one of the characters becomes possessed and recites the cards in the hand of another character (actually a pretty freaky scene, since it starts out as a fun guessing game and quickly morphs): > [@](#): > > LINDA > …Um, it’s a seven. > > SHELLY > Oh my God, what suit? > > LINDA > Diamonds, no wait! I mean hearts! > > SHELLY > That’s right- seven of hearts! … What’s this one? (She holds up the queen of spades.) > > LINDA > Another seven! > > SHELLY > I don’t believe it! > > CHERYL > (Still looking outside) Queen of spades. > > SHELLY looks at her card then back to CHERYL. She holds up another card. > > CHERYL > Four of hearts. > > The card is a four of hearts. SHELLY bites her lip in fear and reaches for another card. ASHLY and LINDA listen in silence. > > CHERYL > Eight of spades. > > SHELLY picks up the card. CHERYL is correct again. > > CHERYL > Two of spades- jack of diamonds- jack of clubs- Love that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/24 "2006-04-06T20:32:47Z")
Ohh, what about the star trek TNG episode where they’re playing poker and then start doing a repeating time thing. There was a three that Data imprinted on his memory to recall that Riker’s solution was the one that would work to break them out of it. Can’t recall the suit of the card off hand. Actually, I think all 4 three’s would count since in one of the hands of stud they were playing he dealt them all. Russell, who remembers some things but not all details. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/25 "2006-04-06T23:35:24Z")
I was trying to remember the hand in Cool Hand Luke, but I can’t. Makes sence though cause it wasn’t really a hand, just a bluff, and you’re not supposed to remember it. ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/26 "2006-04-07T01:56:09Z")
…from Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie, by His Bobness, Mr. Dylan: Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows. When you played your cards with Willie, you never really know Whether he was bluffin’ or whether he was true He won a fortune from a man who folded in his chair The man, he left a diamond flush, Willie didn’t even have a pair And it’s ride, Willie, ride Roll, Willie, roll Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows. It was late one evenin’ during the poker game A man lost all his money, he said Willie was to blame He shot poor Willie through the head, which was a tragic fate When Willie’s cards fell on the floor, they were aces backed with eights And it’s ride, Willie, ride Roll, Willie, roll Wherever you’re a"gamblin’ now, nobody knows. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/27 "2006-04-07T02:44:20Z")
I’m not sure if this one counts, _Jack of Diamonds_ by Waylon Jennings: > [@](#): > > Jack of diamonds, Jack of diamonds, take my money > You can have my life of luxury > You can have my precious silver, studded saddle, ohh > But you can not take my soul, can not take my soul today Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/28 "2006-04-07T05:40:38Z")
_ **Loser** _ by Robert Hunter and Garcia… If I had a gun for every ace that I had drawn I could arm a town the size of Abilene Don’t you push me baby, 'cause I’m moaning low And you know I’m only in it for the gold… …Everybody’s bragging and drinking that wine I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shines Come to daddy on an inside straight Well I got no chance of losing this time Well I got no chance of losing this time tsfr ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/29 "2006-04-07T17:42:39Z")
In several Westerns, there’s a scene where the sharpshooter shoots out the pips on a card tossed in the air… We could probably get a few cards from those, if anyone can remember the specifics. I _think_ this might have been done in _Annie Get your Gun_, and I _think_ it might have been the Two of Clubs, but take both of those with a huge grain of salt. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/30 "2006-04-07T18:36:43Z")
Oooh, I have a good one for **Jack of Diamonds** [Cat-Eye Willie Claims His Lover](http://daveandtracy.globalhosting.com/lyrics.php?uid=110): "Bonnie Brown lay down the jack of diamonds. Young Cody took the king of clubs in trade. The queen of hearts was dealt to Simple Simon, But Cat-Eye drew the ace of spades . . . ‘Oh build my tomb down in some meadow lonely And mark it with the traitor diamond knave, For I have served one master true and only, And I shall sleep beside him in the grave.’" The moral of the story: Strip poker should only go so far. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2006, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583/31 "2006-04-07T20:05:53Z")
In the short-lived TV series [Sword of Justice](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077087/), the hero would send messages using cards. At the beginning of each episode, he would send the villain a Three of Clubs, on which was written, “The Club is the Sign of Vengeance. It knows no man as friend.” At the end of each episode, he would send the villain a Three of Spades, on which was written, “The Spade is the Sword of Justice. Its rapier marks the end.” (The villain would find and read the card just as the police were coming to arrest him.) In between, the hero would send anonymous tips to the police, written on the Three of Hearts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-cards-in-song-and-story/351583.md?page=1)