Song of the Week: Papa Was A Rolling Stone

The topic 'spurring' on our writing activities this week is fathers, and their changing (and in some cases, not so-changing) roles within families.

Our song of the week this week is a 1970 song by one of the greatest R 'N B groups of all time, The Temptations. Described by some as the greatest song ever record by the Temptations, Papa was a Rolling Stone'paints a less than rosy picture' of one particular father.

Watch the video on Youtube.com above, download the song though the title below or do both. Hope you enjoy!

Papa Was A Rolling Stone"
The 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 nothing but bad things about him.
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.

And Mama 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 A-LONE."
"Papa was a rolling stone, my son.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was A-LONE."

Well, well.

Hey Mama, is it true what they say,
that Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, some bad talk going around town
saying that Papa had three outside children and another wife.
And that ain't right.
Hey, talk about Papa doing some store front preaching.
Talked about saving souls and all the time leeching.
Dealing in debt and stealing in the name of the Lord.

Mama 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 A-LONE."
"Hey, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was A-LONE."

Uh.

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 that Papa was never much on thinking.
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking.
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.

And Mama 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 A-LONE."
"Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was A-LONE."

"I said, Papa was a rolling stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was A-LONE."


p.s. note that the "Alone" that occurs at the end of each verse can be read in two ways: (I) in the sense of not being with anyone else (I'm all alone; and (ii) in the sense of money that you borrow from someone else or more usually, as is implied in this case, a Bank, in order to buy a house.