"What's Trumps?" (1860)
Song with chorus
(Song and Chorus)
[Words--anonymous]
composed by
Harry Diamond
(pseud.? for John Rogers Thomas, 1830-1896]

New York: William Hall & Son, 543 Broadway
Boston: Russell & Tolman
New Orleans: P. P. Werlein
Louisville: D. P. Faulds & Co.
Plate No. 4525
[Source: @NYPL]

[NOTE: copyright statement on cover page is
illegible; date determined by Plate No.]

1. There are so many cards to play; 
So many ways to choose, 
In love, in politics and war; 
That forwarding our views 
With ladies fair, with statesmen wise, 
Or men of lesser bumps; 
Before we lead our strongest suit, 
’Tis well to know what’s trumps!

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
What’s trumps? (What's trumps?)
What’s trumps? (What's trumps?)
’Tis well to know what’s trumps! 
Before we lend our strongest suit, 
’Tis well to know what’s trumps! 

2. Once, worshiping at beauty’s shrine, 
I knelt in bondage sweet, 
And breath’d my vows with eagerness, 
And offer’d at her feet 
My soul, well stor’d with Cupid’s wealth— 
A love cemented lump: 
A king or diamonds won the trick; 
My heart was not a trump.

3. Raving, to see my rival win
Upon a single rub,
And as he play’d the _deuce_ with me,
I follow’d with a _club_!
Two days within a station house,
Reflecting on my sin,
I found, as others may have done,
_Clubs_ very seldom win.

4. Grown wise by sad experience,
I ceas’d to deal with maids;
I shuffled youthful follies off,
And turn’d up _Jack of Spades_!
Yet still I find as dust is scarce,
And smaller grow the lumps;
That tho’ the Spade’s an honest card,
It is not always trumps.

5. But in a world of outside show,
Where Mammon rules the throng;
To ease the little joys in life,
And smoothly pass along;
To find an antidote for care,
And stern misfortune’s thumps,
One card is very sure to win,—
_Diamonds_ are always trumps.