Lyrics & Translation
This iconic Motown song offers a powerful narrative about a family grappling with a father's absence. By listening to its evocative lyrics and distinctive instrumentation, learners can explore vocabulary related to family dynamics, regret, and resilience. The song's complex structure, shared lead vocals, and use of the idiom "rolling stone" (meaning a person who cannot settle down or forms no attachments) make it a rich text for understanding nuanced storytelling and cultural references in English.
[English]
It was the third of SeptemberThat 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,
Where ever 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)
Where ever 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 store front 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)
Where ever 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)
Where ever 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,
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
Where ever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
(My daddy was, yes he was, yeah he was)
(Papa was a rolling stone,
Where ever he laid his hat was his home)
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
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remember /rɪˈmem.bər/ A2 |
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daddy /ˈdædi/ A1 |
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chance /tʃæns/ A2 |
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truth /truːθ/ B1 |
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rolling /ˈroʊ.lɪŋ/ B1 |
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stone /stoʊn/ A1 |
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hat /hæt/ A1 |
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home /hoʊm/ A1 |
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alone /əˈloʊn/ A2 |
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worked /wɜːrkt/ A1 |
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wife /waɪf/ A1 |
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preachin' /ˈpriːtʃɪŋ/ B2 |
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souls /soʊlz/ B1 |
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dirt /dɜːrt/ A2 |
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Lord /lɔːrd/ A2 |
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grave /ɡreɪv/ B2 |
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bills /bɪlz/ A2 |
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thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ A2 |
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tear /tɪr/ A2 |
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What does “remember” mean in the song "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"?
Learn fast – go deep – and remember longer with interactive exercises in the app!
Key Grammar Structures
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That day I'll always remember, yes I will
➔ Future Simple with Emphasis
➔ Use of "will" for emphasis. The speaker is not just stating a future event, but emphatically asserting that they *will* remember the day.
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I never got a chance to see him
➔ Past Simple with 'get a chance to'
➔ "got a chance to" means "had an opportunity to". This implies that an opportunity existed, but the speaker missed it.
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Momma I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth
➔ Present Continuous with 'depend on' for future action
➔ While 'depending' is present continuous, the phrase implies a future request. The speaker is relying on the mother to provide truthful answers in the *near* future.
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Wherever he laid his hat was his home
➔ Noun Clause Introduced by 'Wherever'
➔ 'Wherever he laid his hat' functions as the subject of the sentence. It's a place, albeit a temporary one, that acts as his home. 'Wherever' indicates any and all places he chose to stay.
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Is it true what they say that Papa never worked a day, in his life
➔ Cleft Sentence (It + be + that)
➔ The sentence structure using "It is true what they say that..." emphasizes the *truth* of what people are saying about the father. It highlights the information that follows the 'that' clause.
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Heard some talk Papa doing some store front preachin'
➔ Ellipsis (Omission of 'I')
➔ The sentence begins with 'Heard', implying 'I heard'. This is common in informal speech and song lyrics. It adds a casual and conversational tone.
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Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal
➔ 'Would' for repeated past actions
➔ 'Would' is used here to describe a habitual action in the past. It indicates that the father regularly engaged in begging, borrowing, and stealing.
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Folks say Papa never was much on thinking
➔ Informal Negative Construction 'never was much on'
➔ "never was much on" means the person was not very interested in something or did not do it often. It's an informal way to say the father didn't prioritize thinking.
