History
The group's music and unusual costuming (large Afros and white makeup) typified the then-popular trend of "psychedelic soul". A number of their singles became minor hits, and many of them were also songs for Whitfield's main act The Temptations, among them "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Their single Top 40 hit in the United States was the ominous "Smiling Faces Sometimes", also originally recorded by The Temptations, which hit #3 on the US pop charts in 1971.
The Undisputed Truth, along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch, followed Whitfield during his exodus from Motown to set up Whitfield Records in 1975. At this time, Calvin and Joyce left the group, and Harris was joined by new members Taka Boom, Tyrone "Lil Ty" Barkley, and Calvin "Dhaak" Stephenson. The group's costuming and style changed as well, becoming even more unusual and Funkadelic-influenced. However, the group had little success at the new label, and faded into obscurity after two more albums, although they charted in the UK in 1977 (#43) with the disco single "You + Me = Love" from the album Method to the Madness.
(from the Wikipedia Page)
Like A Rolling Stone
The Undisputed Truth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'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 looked at him and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Hey, Mama, is it true what the say, that Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, they talk all around town say that
Papa had three outside children and another wife
And that ain't right.
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some storefront preachin'
Talkin' about saving your souls and all the time weak, dealin' in death
And stealin' in the name of the Lord
Mama just hung her head and said,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Hey, Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trades.
Tell me, is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folks say Papa would beg; borrow or steal to pay his bills.
Hey, Mama, folks say Papa was never much on thinkin';
Spend most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'!
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
Mama just hung her head and said, "Son,
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Wherever he laid his head was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was alone."
The Undisputed Truth's song "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" tells the story of a son trying to understand his father's life after his death, with the help of his mother. The son never had the chance to meet his father, and all he ever heard were negative things about him. He questions his mother about his father's life, and she tells him that his father was a "rolling stone," someone who wandered around and never stayed in one place for long. The mother explains that wherever he laid his head was his home, indicating that he did not have a stable life and was constantly on the move.
The song speaks of the father's questionable moral values - he had three children outside of his marriage and was accused of stealing in the name of the Lord. He was also known to chase women and drink alcohol, indicating that he was not responsible or reliable. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to understand his father's life, but ends up realizing that his father was not the ideal role model or provider. By the end of the song, the son understands that his father's legacy was loneliness and absence.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of confusion and loss, as the son tries to make sense of his father's life and legacy. It speaks of the consequences of living a life without purpose or direction, and how it can affect the people around you.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the third of September; that day I'll always remember, 'Cause that was the day that my daddy died.
The singer's father died on September 3rd, a day that will forever be etched in his memory.
I never got a chance to see him; never heard nothin' but bad things about him.
The singer never had the opportunity to meet his father, and only ever heard negative things about him.
Mama I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
The singer looks to his mother to give him an honest portrayal of who his father truly was.
Hey, Mama, is it true what the say, that Papa never worked a day in his life?
The artist questions whether or not his father was really as lazy as people make him out to be.
And Mama, they talk all around town say that Papa had three outside children and another wife And that ain't right.
There are rumors circulating that the artist's father had multiple affairs and families outside of their own, which is morally wrong.
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some storefront preachin' Talkin' about saving your souls and all the time weak, dealin' in death And stealin' in the name of the Lord
There are also rumors that the singer's father may have been involved in fraudulent religious practices and stealing in the name of religion.
Mama just hung her head and said, Papa was a rollin' stone. Wherever he laid his head was his home. And when he died, all he left us was alone.
The mother acknowledges the rumors about the singer's father and confirms that he was in fact a wandering and unfaithful man, leaving their family alone after his death.
Hey, Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trades. Tell me, is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
The artist wonders if his father's inability to stick to one job led to his premature death.
Folks say Papa would beg; borrow or steal to pay his bills. Hey, Mama, folks say Papa was never much on thinkin'; Spend most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'!
People also talk about the father's careless and impulsive behavior, such as resorting to begging or stealing to pay bills, and prioritizing women and alcohol over anything else.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind