Artists
Musicians featured in this piece are:
Dennis Edwards – lead vocals
Melvin Franklin – vocals
Richard Street – vocals
Damon Harris – vocals
Otis Williams – vocals
Maurice Davis – trumpet
Melvin “Wah Wah Watson” Ragin – guitar
Paul Warren – guitar
Paul Riser – arranger, conductor
The Funk Brothers – backing instrumentation
Written by Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong. Produced by Norman Whitfield, recorded at Motown’s Studio A, Detroit, 1972. Released on All Directions (Gordy Records, 1972); the edited 7-inch single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the R&B chart, becoming the Temptations’ final #1 pop hit.
Originally written for Motown labelmates The Undisputed Truth, whose 1972 version stalled commercially, Norman Whitfield reworked the song into a sprawling 12-minute “cinematic soul” epic for The Temptations, edited down to roughly 7 minutes for radio. The recording captured a group in transition — Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams had recently departed, replaced by Damon Harris and Richard Street — and was reportedly a tense session, with Dennis Edwards pushed through numerous retakes to get the bitter, weary vocal tone Whitfield wanted.
The Temptations – Papa Was A Rollingstone Lyrics
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
Mama, I’m depending on you
To tell me the truth
Mama just hung her head and said, “Son,..
[Chorus:]
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.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
Hey, mama!
Is it true what they say that papa never worked a day in his life?
And, mama, 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 leechin’
Dealing in debt and stealing in the name of the Lord
Mama just hung her head and said,
[Chorus]
“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.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
Hey, mama,
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, mama,
Folks say papa never was much on thinking
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
Mama, I’m depending on you
To tell me the truth
Mama looked up with a tear in her eye and said, “Son,..
[Chorus]
Papa was a rolling stone (well, well…)
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
Papa was a rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
[Chorus]
I said, “Papa was a rolling stone (yes, he was, my son)
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
My daddy was (papa was a rolling stone), yes, he was
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone.”
To listen to other songs from the Teleskop 12 program and the full program, click here.