Who was the first to sing the song 'The Deck of Cards'?

David Luke Myrick (June 20, 1916 – January 28, 1972), known professionally as T. Texas Tyler, was an American country music singer and songwriter primarily known for his 1948 hit, "The Deck of Cards".

Tyler wrote and recorded "The Deck of Cards" in 1948. The spoken-word hit single, which was his biggest hit, tells the story of a World War II soldier who explains how a deck of playing cards serves him as a Bible, an almanac and a prayer book.

The song is set during World War II, where a group of U.S. Army soldiers, on a long hike during a campaign in southern Italy, arrive and camp near the town of Casino. 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 believes the soldier is playing cards in church and orders him to put them away. The soldier is then arrested and taken before the provost marshal to be judged. The provost marshal demands an explanation and the soldier says that he had been on a long march, without a bible or a prayer book. He then explains the significance of each card.