Papa Was A Rollin' Stone – English Lyrics

• By: The Temptations
• Album: All Directions

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the compelling story behind The Temptations' iconic song, “Papa Was A Rollin' Stone”. Learn about the song's powerful message, its creation, and its impact on listeners, offering a glimpse into the social and emotional landscape of the 1970s. Explore the language of soul and storytelling through this timeless classic.

[English]

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"

And Momma just hung her head and said...

"Son, 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

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

Well, well"

...

"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 them talking Papa doing some store front preachin'

Talked about saving souls and all the time leeching

Dealing in debt, 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, (my son)

Wherever he laid his hat was his home

(And when he died) All he left us was alone

Uh"

...

"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 that 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"

And Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said...

"Son, Papa was a rolling stone (my son)

(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 (my son)

Wherever he laid his hat was his home

(And when he died) All he left us was alone

I 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"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
remember /rɪˈmem.bər/ A2	verb - to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind
died /daɪd/ A1	verb - to stop living
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the real facts about something; the state of being true
stone /stoʊn/ A1	noun - rock
rolling /ˈroʊ.lɪŋ/ B1	adjective - moving by turning over and over
hat /hæt/ A1	noun - a covering for the head
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - without other people
worked /wɜːrkt/ A1	verb - to do a job
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a place where people live and work, smaller than a city
children /ˈtʃɪl.drən/ A1	noun - young human beings below the age of puberty or full physical development
wife /waɪf/ A1	noun - a married woman
saving /ˈseɪ.vɪŋ/ B1	verb - to keep something, especially money, for use in the future
souls /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
stealing /ˈstiː.lɪŋ/ B1	verb - to take something dishonestly
beg /beɡ/ B1	verb - to ask for something earnestly or humbly
borrow /ˈbɑː.roʊ/ A2	verb - to receive something with the intention of returning it
bills /bɪlz/ A2	noun - a statement of money owed for goods or services
chasing /ˈtʃeɪ.sɪŋ/ B1	verb - to pursue someone or something in order to catch them
drinking /ˈdrɪŋ.kɪŋ/ A1	verb - to consume liquids