Tommy Dell - Deck of Cards Lyrics

During the North African campaign
A bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike
And they arrived in a little town called Cassino

The next morning, being, Sunday
Several of the boys went to church
A Sergeant commanded the boys in church
And after the Chaplin had read the prayer
The text was taken up next

Those of the boys who had a prayer book took them out
But this one soldier had only a deck of cards
So he spread them out

The Sergeant saw the cards and said soldier, put away those cards
After the services were over, the soldier was taken prisoner
And brought before the Commanding Officer

The Officer said Sergeant
Why have you brought this man here?
For playing cards in church Sir

And what have you to say for yourself son?
Much Sir, replied the soldier
The Commanding Officer said, I hope so
For if not, I shall punish you
More than any man has ever been punished

The soldier said, Sir
I have been on a march for about six days
I have neither Bible nor prayer book
Only this deck of cards
But I hope to satisfy you, Sir
With the purity of my intentions
And with that the boy started his story

You see, Sir
When I look at the Ace
It reminds me that there is but one God

And the Two reminds me that Bible is divided into two parts
The Old and the New Testament

When l see the Three
I think of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

And when I see the Four
I think of the four evangelists who preached the gospel
There was Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

When I see the Five
It reminds me of the five wise virgins, who trimmed their lamps
There was ten of them
Five were wise and were saved
Five were foolish and were shut out

When I see the Six
It reminds me that in six days
God made this great heaven and earth

And when I see the Seven
It reminds me that of the seventh day
And God rested from His great work

When I see the Eight
I think of the eight righteous persons God saved when he destroyed this earth
There was Noah, his wife, their sons and their wives

When I see the Nine
I think of the lepers our Saviour cleansed
And nine out of the ten didn't even thank Him

When I see the Ten
I think of the Ten Commandments God endowed to Moses on the tablet of stone

When I see the King
It reminds me that there is but one King of Heaven
God Almighty

And when I see the Queen
I think of the blessed Virgin Mary
Who is the Queen of Heaven

And the Jack, Sir, is the devil

When I count the spots on a deck of cards I find 365
The number of days in a year
There are 52 cards the number of weeks in a year
There a four suits the number of weeks in a month
There are thirteen tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter

So you see Sir
My deck of cards not only serves me as a Bible
But as an almanac and a prayer book

And friends
This story's true
I know
Because I was that soldier