# What Was The Name of This "Song"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177 "2011-04-04T19:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/1 "2011-04-04T19:04:36Z")
I have dim memries of this “song” (I call it a song for want of a better term). It seemed to play constantly on WMEX (Boston). Anyway, it was abot a young soldier, who was being court-martialed…becase he was caught playing cards in church. The whole thing goes on to the guy’s explanation-he winds up connecting the cards with saints, events from Jesus’ life, etc. The narrative ends with the young soldier being vindicated. The thing seemed to go on and on…accompanied by chrchy organ music. Anybody know what this was called? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/2 "2011-04-04T19:25:58Z")
It sounds utterly unspeakable. However, Wikipedia would indicate it is ‘\*\*[The Deck of Card](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deck_of_Cards)\*\*s’. _“Cards” is set during World War II, where a group of US Army soldiers, on a long hike during a campaign in southern Italy, had arrived and camped near a town named Cassino. While Scripture is being read in church, one man who has only a deck of playing cards pulls them out and spreads them in front of him. He is immediately spotted by a sergeant, who orders the soldier to put them away (thinking he’s playing cards in church). The soldier is then arrested and taken before the provost marshal to be punished. The provost marshal demands an explanation, to which the soldier explains the significance of each card:_ … _The highest-charting version was recorded in 1959 by future game show host Wink Martindale, and was performed on The Ed Sullivan Show._ This kind of sentimental dreck ought to carry a prison sentence. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/3 "2011-04-04T19:55:50Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > This kind of sentimental dreck ought to carry a prison sentence. I still like it better than “Teddy Bear”. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/4 "2011-04-04T20:35:28Z")
Hmmm… Seeing that, the only songs that spring to mind are ‘_The Teddybears’ Picnic_’, and that excellent 1950s group ‘The Teddy Bears’ which included the excellent Mr. Phil Spector who created the noble ‘_To Know, Know, Know Him_’ ( from his father’s gravestone apparently ) — as I said, discussing the song elsewhere, he always struck me as a kinda straight-shooting guy. However, googling, I see two songs called ‘ **Teddy Bear** ’, one, ‘_(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear_’ — 1957, and the other, ‘_The Teddy Bear Song_’ — 1973. One of those ? I decided against hearing either. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/5 "2011-04-04T21:02:12Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > However, googling, I see two songs called ‘ **Teddy Bear** ’, one, ‘_(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear_’ — 1957, and the other, ‘_The Teddy Bear Song_’ — 1973. One of those ? I decided against hearing either. I’m guessing he’s referring to “[Teddy Bear](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_Bear_%28Red_Sovine_song%29)”, a country “song” by Red Sovine, which was a big hit in 1976, when CB radios were hugely popular. It was about a paraplegic kid who’d talk to truckers over his family’s CB radio. There was background music, but Sovine mostly just talked through the sad tale. ---
**Author:** ![Amos\_Moses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@Amos\_Moses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amos_Moses)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/6 "2011-04-04T21:05:16Z")
Written in 1948 by T Texas Tyler. Recorded by many. A you tube search of Deck of Cards will bring up many. Hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/7 "2011-04-04T22:28:18Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I have dim memries of this “song” (I call it a song for want of a better term). Why would “song” not be the proper term? ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/8 "2011-04-04T22:41:45Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Why would “song” not be the proper term? Having not heard it, I’d assume it fits into the genre of “Teddy Bear” or “Little Mary Christmas.” It’s spoken-word glurge set over unremarkable background music. Not really sure what the right term is for 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/9 "2011-04-05T04:44:40Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Having not heard it, I’d assume it fits into the genre of “Teddy Bear” or “Little Mary Christmas.” It’s spoken-word glurge set over unremarkable background music. Not really sure what the right term is for 'em. Sounds like a description of bad rap music. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/10 "2011-04-05T05:26:19Z")
The song sounds like the variation of a religious counting song, which isn’t really all that uncommon. Here’s another one, the spiritual, “Children, Go Where I Send Thee”. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Iou1n0tWguM/hqdefault.jpg "Gmea Womens Honor Choir - Go Where I Send Thee") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iou1n0tWguM) And here’s “Green Go the Rushes, Oh” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WR1-iwtih8k/maxresdefault.jpg "Guitar: Green Grow The Rushes Ho (Including lyrics and chords)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR1-iwtih8k) And here’s the Passover song Echad Mi Yodea (Who Knows One?) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XORUkiVHeZg/hqdefault.jpg "Echad Mi Yodea אחד מי יודע") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XORUkiVHeZg) It’s not an uncommon thing. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/11 "2011-04-05T07:33:26Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > Sounds like a description of bad rap music. Not that, even. It’s not spoken in rhythm, to the music – it’s just someone telling the story, with music going on in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/12 "2011-04-05T08:43:58Z")
I have a vague memory of having heard a parody of _A Deck Of Cards_ called _The Golf Bag_. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/13 "2011-04-05T09:31:22Z")
I don’t have any hate for Jimmy Dean but [this shit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvwgNVhz88) drives me up the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-name-of-this-song/577177/14 "2011-04-05T17:37:33Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > I don’t have any hate for Jimmy Dean but [this shit](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXvwgNVhz88) drives me up the wall. Seriously, who keeps the same wallet for 35 years?!