Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Detroit City Mix) - 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 nothin' but bad things about him

Mama I'm depending on you, to tell me the truth

And Momma 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, 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 leaching

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, my son.

Wherever he laid his hat was his home

And when he died all he left us was alone."

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 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"

And Momma 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

Lone, lone, lone, 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, yes he was

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

Wherever he laid his hat was his home