The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
Momma, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
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, rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
Hey momma, is it true what they say
That Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Momma, some bad talk goin' 'round town
Sayin' that Papa had three outside children
And another wife and that ain't right
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some store front preachin'
Talked about savin' souls and all the time leechin'
Dealin' in debt and stealin' in the name of the Lord
Momma 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, [incomprehensible]
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
And when he died, all he left us was alone
Hey Momma, 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 Momma, folks say Papa never was much on thinkin'
Spent most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'
Momma I'm dependin' on you to tell me the truth
Momma looked up with a tear in her eye 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
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
Papa was a rolling stone
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The lyrics of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” by The Temptations' is a reflection of the impact that a father's negligence can have on his children. The lyrics revolve around a son’s curiosity about his dad, who has passed away. The son has never met his father, and all he knows about him are the negative things that his mother tells him. He questions his mother about his father, but all she can say is that he was a “rolling stone”: a man who would move around frequently, not settling in one place for too long. This led to him not being present in his children's lives, even when he was physically present, and ultimately leaving them alone upon his death.
The repeated phrase, "wherever he laid his hat was his home," in the chorus is a metaphor for the father's lack of commitment and attachment to any singular place or person. The son's questions about his father show the desire to understand and fill the void left by his father's absence. The lyrics about his father's other wives and children show the immoral and irresponsible behavior that led to the father's wandering lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
It was the third of September
The singer is giving a specific date which is important to them.
That day I'll always remember, yes, I will
The singer is emphasizing how memorable this day is to them.
'Cause that was the day that my daddy died
The singer's father passed away on this particular day.
I never got a chance to see him
The artist did not have the opportunity to meet their father before he died.
Never heard nothin' but bad things about him
The artist was only exposed to negative stories about their father.
Momma, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth
The singer is seeking honesty from their mother about their father.
Momma just hung her head and said
The mother is unwilling to disclose the truth about the father.
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a wanderer with no fixed address or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father had no fixed home and would settle wherever he felt comfortable.
And when he died, all he left us was alone"
The father had no lasting impact on his family's life except for feelings of abandonment.
Hey momma, is it true what they say
The singer is still hoping to learn the truth about their father.
That Papa never worked a day in his life?
The artist is questioning if their father ever had a job.
And Momma, some bad talk goin' 'round town
The singer has heard negative rumors about their father from the community.
Sayin' that Papa had three outside children
The father was rumored to have had children outside of his marriage.
And another wife and that ain't right
The father was rumored to have had another spouse while married.
Heard them talkin' about Papa doing some store front preachin'
The artist has heard rumors of the father preaching for personal gain.
Talked about savin' souls and all the time leechin'
The father was allegedly using his preaching to take advantage of others for personal gain.
Dealin' in debt and stealin' in the name of the Lord
The father was using religion to justify his unethical actions.
Momma just hung her head and said
The mother is still unwilling to disclose the truth about the father's actions.
"Papa was a rolling stone, my son
The father was a man without a stable home or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father would settle wherever he felt comfortable, with no regard for his family's well-being.
And when he died, all he left us was alone"
The father had no meaningful impact on his family's life except for feelings of abandonment.
Hey, Papa was a rolling stone, [incomprehensible]
The father was a wanderer without direction or purpose.
Hey Momma, I heard Papa called himself a jack of all trades
The artist has heard the father use this phrase to describe himself.
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave
The singer is questioning if the father's lifestyle led to his early death.
Folks say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bills
The father was rumored to use unethical means to pay his debts.
Hey Momma, folks say Papa never was much on thinkin'
The father was rumored to not have been a thoughtful person.
Spent most of his time chasin' women and drinkin'
The father allegedly spent his time on women and alcohol, neglecting his responsibilities.
Momma I'm dependin' on you to tell me the truth
The artist is still seeking honesty from their mother about their father.
Momma looked up with a tear in her eye and said
The mother is finally disclosing her true feelings about the father.
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a man without a stable home or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father would settle wherever he felt comfortable, with no regard for his family's well-being.
And when he died, all he left us was alone"
The father had no meaningful impact on his family's life except for feelings of abandonment.
Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a wanderer without a fixed home or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father would settle wherever he felt comfortable, with no regard for his family's well-being.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
The father had no meaningful impact on his family's life except for feelings of abandonment.
Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a wanderer without a fixed home or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father would settle wherever he felt comfortable, with no regard for his family's well-being.
And when he died, all he left us was alone
The father had no meaningful impact on his family's life except for feelings of abandonment.
Papa was a rolling stone
The father was a wanderer without a fixed home or job.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home
The father would settle wherever he felt comfortable, with no regard for his family's well-being.
Contributed by Hunter L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.