Papa why? Why did you marry mama and not stay true? Your fighting scarred me for life and distorted my view
'Please tell mama this' and her reply would be 'Please tell papa that' I was good for both of you Used as a conduit for your ugly chat
You, my hero would get the moon for me That was your promise But you forgot that when you chose to be free
So in this, my life that you never knew I hitched to many a wagon My choices calculated They were replicas of you I’d flow from one to another and each time I’d slay the dragon
Happy Father’s to all dads out there! Jim Adams has given us a dads’ theme for today’s Song Lyric Sunday. I have chosen an old Temptations song, Papa was a Rolling Stone.
A song performed by Motown recording act the Undisputed Truth. It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1971, and released as a single in May 1972. It peaked at number 63 on the Pop Charts and number 24 on the R&B Charts. The song was included on the Undisputed Truth’s album Law of the Land (1973).
Later that year, Whitfield, who also produced the song, took “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” and remade it as a 12-minute record for the Temptations, which was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1973. While the original Undisputed Truth version of the song has been largely forgotten, the Temptations’ version of the song has been an enduring and influential soul classic.
Lyrics
Papa was a Rolling Stone Temptations
It was the third of September That day I’ll always remember, yes I will ‘Cause that was the day that my daddy died I never got a chance to see him Never heard nothin’ but bad things about him Momma I’m depending on you to tell me the truth Momma just hung her head and said, son
Papa was a rolling stone Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone Papa was a rolling stone (my son, yeah) Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone
Hey Momma! Is it true what they say that Papa never worked a day in his life And Momma, some bad talk goin’ round town sayin’ that Papa had three outside children And another wife, and that ain’t right Heard some talk Papa doing some storefront preachin’ Talking about saving souls and all the time leechin’ Dealing in dirt, and stealing in the name of the Lord Momma just hung her head and said
Papa was a rolling stone (my son) Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone Hey Papa was a rolling stone (dad gumma it) Where ever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone
Hey Momma I heard Papa called himself a jack-of-all-trades Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal To pay his bills Hey Momma Folks say Papa never was much on thinking Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking Momma I’m depending on you to tell me the truth Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said, son
Papa was a rolling stone (well, well, well, well) Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone (lone, lone, lone, alone) Papa was a rolling stone Wherever he laid his hat was his home And when he died, all he left us was alone
