Papa Was a Rollin
The Temptations Lyrics

It was the third of September
The singer remembers a specific date, the third of September, which has a significant meaning to them.

That day I'll always remember, yes I will
The singer emphasizes their vow to always remember the events of that day.

'Cause that was the day that my daddy died
The singer reveals the significance of the third of September, as it was the day their father passed away.

I never got a chance to see him
The artist did not have the opportunity to meet their father in person.

Never heard nothin' but bad things about him
The artist only knows negative information about their father through other people.

Momma I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
The singer requests that their mother tell them the honest truth about their father.

Momma just hung her head and said, son
The mother responds to her child with sadness and heaviness in her voice and demeanor.

Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a charismatic and transient figure, moving around often.

Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father did not have a definitive 'home' and often changed his place of residence.

And when he died, all he left us was alone
When the father passed away, he left his family disconnected and without support.

Is it true what they say that Papa never worked a day in his life
The singer asks their mother if the rumors about their father never having a job are true.

Papa had three outside children
The father had three children outside of his primary family who were not mentioned previously.

And another wife, and that ain't right
The father had another family he was hiding from, which is morally wrong.

Heard some talk Papa doing some storefront preachin'
The singer heard that their father preached in public places like storefronts.

Talking about saving souls and all the time leechin'
The father preached about religion while taking advantage of his followers and being a 'leech'.

Dealing in dirt, and stealing in the name of the Lord
The father used religion as a cover for his unethical actions and it calls into question his true intentions.

Hey Momma
The artist addresses their mother again with a sense of urgency.

I heard Papa called himself a jack-of-all-trades
The singer repeats the father's claim of being an expert in many different trades or skills.

Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave
The singer questions if the father's ambitious nature contributed to his untimely death.

Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal
The father was rumored to engage in unethical behavior and commit crimes to survive.

To pay his bills
The father used his illegal actions to pay for his expenses.

Folks say Papa never was much on thinking
The father was rumored to not think deeply about situations.

Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking
The father prioritized engaging in hedonistic activities over taking care of his responsibilities.

Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said, son
The mother responds with sadness and a sense of regret in her voice.

(I said) Papa was a rolling stone
The singer concurs and repeats that their father was a transient figure with no stable home.

And when he died, all he left us was alone
The father's lack of stability and attention left his family with no support or guidance.

My daddy was
The singer refers to their father as 'Daddy', emphasizing their connection to him.

Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a transient figure who did not have a stable home or great moral compass.

Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father was not tied down to one single place and moved around often.

And when he died, all he left us was alone
The father's actions resulted in a sense of abandonment for his family when he passed away.