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The Temptations — Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Album: All Directions
Avg rating:
8.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3683









Released: 1972
Length: 6:42
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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, 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 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 Mama, is it true what they say,
That Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, bad talk going around town
Saying that Papa had three outside children and another wife.
And that ain't right.
HEARD SOME talk about Papa doing some store front preaching.
TalkIN 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 ALONE."
"Hey, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was ALONE."

Uh!

Hey Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trade.
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill.
Hey Mama, folk 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. 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 ALONE."
"Papa was a rolling stone.
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. Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was ALONE."
Comments (497)add comment
 joejennings wrote:


11+ !!!

this song should be at least 20
 Bleyfusz wrote:


Only, it should be an 11.


11+ !!!
 Snipey wrote:


Definitely a 10, no question.  


Only, it should be an 11.
 Snipey wrote:


Definitely a 10, no question.  



I AGREE!!  Thanx RP!   
 unclehud wrote:

The whack-a-doo guitar is giving my ears whiplash.  Soulful and psychedelic at the same time.



  Well put, unclehud!
 eyke wrote:


Hence a rare 10 in my favorites.


Definitely a 10, no question.  
 Alastair wrote:

I can understand people not giving this a 10, but if you gave it a 1, I'm not really sure why you're listening to RP.




Beeeeeecauuuuuse.. I've heard it a thousand billion times and it bored me to death the first time! SIMPLES!
It might be blasphemous, but Mr. Dave's cover, from Very Greasy, would be a most excellent addition.
 holborne wrote:

This song is absolutely brilliant, one of the all-time greats. It's rich without being baroque or ostentatious, and it's beautifully produced--not even slightly slick or overblown. Love it.



Hence a rare 10 in my favorites.
I can understand people not giving this a 10, but if you gave it a 1, I'm not really sure why you're listening to RP.
 eileenomurphy wrote:

ICONIC!



Sure thing.
 stephen.king12101 wrote:

Funk at it’s best



If this is funk then 96% of other so called funk isn't fun(k) at all. 
As a musician, I sometimes get asked if a truly great song can be written using only two or three chords. This incredible song is written over *one* chord! Genius!
 joejennings wrote:

GODLIKE!!! ICONIC!!!  Better in FLAC w/ great phones, amp & DAC! Thanx RP!




I Agree on all counts!
 kevinpobrien wrote:

Absolutlely Godlike!  That said 2 years ago Bill played a bluegrass version of this song by a group named Run C&W.  I think the devil made him do it.  It was as bad as it sounds. 




Too Funny!!
Absolutlely Godlike!  That said 2 years ago Bill played a bluegrass version of this song by a group named Run C&W.  I think the devil made him do it.  It was as bad as it sounds. 
Monumental. Epic.  Wonderful.
If there ever was 10 this must be it. Godlike+
my friend ... in this particular case it is verboten - this is high art in the form

see below
 hellsgardener wrote:

32 '1' VOTES?? How - Why. People have you no soul?


It is still permitted to dislike things according to one's personal taste.
 hellsgardener wrote:

32 '1' VOTES?? How - Why. People have you no soul?




There are people like that out there, sadly!
ICONIC!
THIS WILL ALWAYS REMIND ME of waking up on the sofa in the Hacienda Heights, CA home of my architect buddy "Sha-doobie," WITH THIS SONG AT ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DECIBELS FROM A VERY GOOD SET OF SPEAKERS INTO VERY ACOUSTIC SPACES... Then, we ate some waffles, smoked some weed, and back-packed 10 days off-trail into The Kaweahs...  And -- we're still there...
 apsteinmetz wrote:

He left them in debt. I always assumed the double entendre was deliberate and super clever.



I doubt, based on his implied employment history, that he would have qualified for any legitimate loan.  My guess is that any double entendre that is being read into it is too clever for its own good. Being left alone is devastating enough on its own. 
 mgtom wrote:

This is a good 6 minutes and 42 seconds of MOTOWN!



the album version is longer and immense, have it on a Japanese CD
Doesn't get any better
32 '1' VOTES?? How - Why. People have you no soul?
 nancynancy wrote:
You have me dancing early in the morning!

a decent funky tune will still get me moving ('dancing' doesn't describe it) - and this has so much going for it.
Watch "Summer of Soul" for some great memories - why wasn't it released before? Great sounds despite a limited budget.

Good and funky
Cuan era chavo odiábamos la musuca disco y el R&B. Que bruto era entonces,
 pamking wrote:
It's Sunday morning here in Georgia and I'm getting ready to go outside and work on the lawn before it gets hot....when this song comes on RP. I smiled and remembered the cover by "WasNotWas" (Don and David Was). I scrolled down the comments to see if anyone else was familiar with the cover and was pleased to discover another listener responded almost identically to my intentions.
There are plenty of great covers of originals in the music world, and I think the WasNotWas version of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" deserves inclusion.
What I did not know was RP has nothing from WasNotWas in the playlist? Their "Are you Okay" album, from 1990 is chock full of offbeat, funky, soulful, funny, music. They amassed an incredible array of very talented people for that compilation. Eclectic indeed. In my opinion, a PERFECT source for new RP additions. I think Bill would have a pleasantly difficult time deciding which songs to add to the playlist. For all you Leonard Cohen fans, "Elvis's Rolls Royce" will have you smiling or laughing out loud.
NOW I can start Taking Names and Kicking Grass.
 
I feel good. I feel better than James Brown.
Timeless!
incredibly crafted...
 Tippster wrote:
If this isn't a "10" in your opinion we cannot be friends.  Holy crap what a track.
 
I'll share a JD&C with you, friend.
If this isn't a "10" in your opinion we cannot be friends.  Holy crap what a track.
This was "pop" music in 1972.  Amazing. 
Who are the one or two lost souls who rate this 3 or less? That's like saying you hate music!
Nothing less than a religious experience!
 apsteinmetz wrote:
He left them in debt. I always assumed the double entendre was deliberate and super clever.
 
"And all he left us was alone."
Meaning, "He left us alone."
Nothing to do with debt, like "a loan."
It's more clever the way it was written.
Never heard this extended version before. Superb musicianship!
I love this song so much. Impossible to sit still.  
wacka-wacka-wacka-twingly-twangly-wacka-wacka
It's Sunday morning here in Georgia and I'm getting ready to go outside and work on the lawn before it gets hot....when this song comes on RP. I smiled and remembered the cover by "WasNotWas" (Don and David Was). I scrolled down the comments to see if anyone else was familiar with the cover and was pleased to discover another listener responded almost identically to my intentions.
There are plenty of great covers of originals in the music world, and I think the WasNotWas version of "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" deserves inclusion.
What I did not know was RP has nothing from WasNotWas in the playlist? Their "Are you Okay" album, from 1990 is chock full of offbeat, funky, soulful, funny, music. They amassed an incredible array of very talented people for that compilation. Eclectic indeed. In my opinion, a PERFECT source for new RP additions. I think Bill would have a pleasantly difficult time deciding which songs to add to the playlist. For all you Leonard Cohen fans, "Elvis's Rolls Royce" will have you smiling or laughing out loud.
NOW I can start Taking Names and Kicking Grass.
How many kids this Mama have with Papa?!?
ICONIC tune!
I still don't get how 28 people gave this a "1."  If there was ever an iconic song for a whole musical genre this is it.
He left them in debt. I always assumed the double entendre was deliberate and super clever.
I really don't see the problem...

If he died and left them a loan, he seems like a pretty decent fella.
Smooth..
10 godlike 'rolling stones'
 justin4kick wrote:
And when he died, all he left us was a loan: seems I am not the only one that made that mistake.

https://www.kissthisguy.com/and-when-he-died-all-he-left-us-was-a-l-misheard-136.htm
 That's exactly what I thought also!


Such a perfectly crafted song. 
 xray38 wrote:
If this isn't a classic by any standard, I truly do not know what is.
 
If that isn't a fundamental truth, I truly do not know what is.
Can we change the lyrics to, "All he left us was a loan" instead of "alone"? Or at least alternate? After all, this father's abandonment of his family caused financial AND emotional issues...
This is a good 6 minutes and 42 seconds of MOTOWN!
Best red-eye flight ever back to East Coast after some work in L.A. was sharing a nextdoor seat & non-stop Courvoisier with one of the The Temptations. No clue to this day which one, as there have been quite a few since the 60s, of course. Neither of us was sleepy, but the brandy was mighty good and the stories flowed accordingly.  


Funk at it’s best
Every thing is cool about this song
A high-hat and two notes on the bass, the intro of this is unmistakable.
Like The Blues Breakers, Pink Floyd, Cream, The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Revolution, Porcupine Tree...
Truly, one of the greatest bands performing one of the greatest tracks ever. Thanks, Bill.
If this isn't a classic by any standard, I truly do not know what is.
A Loan makes more sense   robin_at_domani wrote:
I've always doubted what the right lyrics were:
all he left us was alone
or
all he left us was a loan

but now I know

Thanks RP 
 

Certainly a 10 .  I remember it on the radio.

I remember it in a different key.  In a less elaborate version.  Maybe a Top 40 version versus a live one?
You have me dancing early in the morning!

Rhythmically Speaking this Wah Wah good!
OUT-FREAKING-STANDING! A solid 9 in my books!
R.I.P. - Mr. Dennis Edwards.  This song is awesome and timeless.
 aspalathin wrote:

Even better than the theme from Shaft {#Cheesygrin}

 
well maybe....although that might be cuz I was Richard Roundtree in another life (or Isaac Hayes....can't remember which :-) )
You can Name That Tune in one note.
An awesome track. If ever a track deserved a 10, this is it. A total treat from beginning to end.
SPECTACULAR DADGUMMIT  (shake and slide with this people, cures all ills : )
10. Easy. Spectacular.
No brainer: When a song's opening lyric is your birthday, you give it a 10.
 Duc1098 wrote:
Best intro ever.

 
Even better than the theme from Shaft {#Cheesygrin}
Damn, I'll never make a DJ - too obvious...
I'm completely guessing here, but is the next track going to be Dylan's  'Like a Rolling Stone'?
Best intro ever.
обожаю слушать такой стиль...куда уходит детство
That wah-wah though......
"What a classic.

11 is correctomundo"

—-The Fonz—-
 Wilfrue wrote:
This one goes to 11! You know it's good when on the second bass note, you say, "ooooh", to no one, close the door to your office, put on the headphones and crank it!
{#Notworthy}
 


This one goes to 11! You know it's good when on the second bass note, you say, "ooooh", to no one, close the door to your office, put on the headphones and crank it!
Never get tired of this song.  And it always brings a smile because of the reference the MST3K guys gave it at the beginning of "Mitchell!'


"And that ain't right!"
Epic tune!
This is my JAM!

I love the super long intro. I crank up to tunes on the Harley (and some head bob'n starts) when this comes on.

Music from the days when Black Music was a rarity in the Dance Clubs. {#Dance}

 

One thought: When Papa was such a bad piece, why then has Mama popped him? {#Lol}


There's a number of legendary songs and this is most definitely one of them.
Such a great song!  
Was Not Was does an excellent version of this
one of the few times when a cover is better than the original
but RP has no Was Not Was in their vault
so i included this nifty little link,....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ke0Cklp6A 
One of the simplest but most recognizable bass line in music history
hayduke2
(Southampton, NY)
Posted: Jun 08, 2012 - 15:41
 

I was compelled to follow the Temps choreography whenever I was lucky enough to see them on tv, Don Cornelius' train or wherever way back then, oh was that something powerful! My suburban white ass trying to follow the steps, and seeing the integrity and charm of these fantastic musicians, super excellent. 


Timeless Solid Gold from the Temps


In the 70s, Motown bands produced loads of 'social realism' songs like this, on top of popcorn pop. Nowadays, such tales would likely just appear on Jerry Springer or Jeremy Kyle :(

A true classic, which I remember dancing to as a callow adolescent. I hope that folk'll still be playing this a century hence. Pure class songwriting.
thats amazing - check out the LP it's from "All Directions"  if you can find it.
My first music growing up in the industrial heartland. Heaven. No town like Mo town.
Oh heck yes!
Sly Stone, War, Isley Brothers, Spinners, O'Jays, Al Greene. 

R&B was hot for a awhile, eh?  
Have to agree it is a classic.  I thoroughly enjoyed it 
Great Song - The album gets overlooked - but also {#Bounce}is awesome.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Directions


 rjewyo wrote:
Classic....and yes, a 10 {#Cool}
 
Tragic song but, yes, a classic.
 oldsaxon wrote:

You're thinking too modern middle class. He'd never get a loan, but when he died he left them alone, poor and struggling.
 
Before there were payday lenders there were loan sharks. He could get a loan.
Classic....and yes, a 10 {#Cool}
 mrtuba9 wrote:
The line "Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill" always makes me think all he left them was a loan.

 
I believe the actual lyric is "all he left us was alone", but I always thought there was some sort of deliberate wordplay there - either word works. Anyhow, great tune.
 Johnny-smooth wrote:
Follow this with some War will ya Bill
Cisco Kid would do the trick
And if you're feeling really in the groove, some Sly 

 
Sly would make my day right now.
Sublime
Don't vote many 10s... {#Roflol}
 mrtuba9 wrote:
The line "Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill" always makes me think all he left them was a loan.

 
I used to think the same thing when hearing this when I was a kid —- I would always add - for two thousand dollars.
 mrtuba9 wrote:
The line "Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill" always makes me think all he left them was a loan.

 
You're thinking too modern middle class. He'd never get a loan, but when he died he left them alone, poor and struggling.
 ojibwe wrote:
So some of youse might not be old enough to have experienced this in real-time, when the radio was full of Motown and Philly soul (in and amongst all the usual dreck, of course). This one is fabulous though, and its long intro provides a great talk-up to read the weather, traffic, and any short PSAs you had to catch up on. 
 
10.

 
Yes, it absolutely was amazingly fresh and cool beyond anything else. 1972...wow.
The line "Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill" always makes me think all he left them was a loan.
 ziakut wrote:
The beginning of this always make me think of the stereotypical 70s porn music...with the crybaby wah chords strumming away. Ok...now I'm dating myself here. Oops.

 
Ye...ess...hmm...  {#Think}

I had a similar comment about Vetiver's "You May Be Blue" and the comments following are going off into strange places. 

Could we have tumbled upon a sub-genre of music, 70s porn background music? Perhaps a band could form and find success?

Many great non-porn comments here about this classic. Egrey is right: the lyrics (and music) paint a bleak, intense picture. Reminds me right now of Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street" which Tarantino used in "Jackie Brown" as a nod to the '72 movie "Across 110th Street" with Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto. 
 
{#Bananasplit}
 DaMoGan wrote:

Not that difficult now with the numerous multi-effects boxes that are available now (and which are affordable by even the relatively poor amateur player), but back then they must have cost some serious cash.
 
It sounds primarily like a wah-wah pedal and probably some vibrato through the amp or with a pedal.  They were somewhat expensive, but not prohibitively so, especially for a renowned session guitarist like Melvin Ragin.
{#Bananasplit}Waca waca waca
I've always doubted what the right lyrics were:
all he left us was alone
or
all he left us was a loan

but now I know

Thanks RP 
Could be the coolest song of all time...instantly recongizable from the first note
 idiot_wind wrote:
Cool song. Still don't get how they make the guitar sound like that. 

 
Not that difficult now with the numerous multi-effects boxes that are available now (and which are affordable by even the relatively poor amateur player), but back then they must have cost some serious cash.

The whack-a-doo guitar is giving my ears whiplash.  Soulful and psychedelic at the same time.
Cool song. Still don't get how they make the guitar sound like that.