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The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin' Stone Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: All Directions
Released: 1972

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone Lyrics

It was the third of September; that day I'll always remember,
'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.
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, 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."
Writer/s: WHITFIELD, NORMAN / STRONG, BARRETT
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone Song Chart

This was written by the Motown songwriters Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and produced by Whitfield. It was first recorded by The Undisputed Truth, but Whitfield also had The Temptations record it, with much greater success.

A story that is often circulated and is recounted in the 2001 miniseries The Temptations deals with the lines of this song: "It was the 3rd of September, that day I'll always remember, 'cause that was the day that my daddy died."

The story goes that lead singer Dennis Edwards hated the song and was incensed when he heard this line, since his father died on that date and he thought Norman Whitfield put that in to goad him. This tale made for good drama, but was considerably overblown. Edwards' father actually died on October third, and he was anything but a rolling stone. The elder Edwards was a minister, and gave his son a good upbringing. Whitfield chose the date simply because it fit well in the song; he had no idea when Edwards' father had died.

The album version of this song runs 11:46. The single was released with the song split into two parts: the A-side was the "vocal" version and runs 6:58; the B-side is the "instrumental" and goes 4:49.

Even truncated for single release, the A-side was exceptionally long and remains one of the longest chart-toppers in Hot 100 history. It was not, however, the longest #1 of 1972 - that was Don McLean's "American Pie," which clocked in at 8:33.

Both sides of the single was Grammy awards. The A-side won for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, and the B-side took the award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

Speaking about this song's writer/producer Norman Whitfield in a 1995 interview with Goldmine, Motown head Berry Gordy said: "He could take one chord, like on 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone,' and play the same chord and do all these different beautiful melodies and stuff that many people could not really imagine this guy doin'. And I would watch him and he did it all by himself as a producer. He would work with five guys in the Temps and he would change leads on each one. He would pick the right lead for the right song, ya know, and he'd utilize all five of those leads in a song that was just incredible. When I listen to 'em today, now that I have time to listen to 'em, I'm saying, "Wow! This guy was probably the most underrated producer we had."

This was the last big hit recorded in Motown's famous Studio A, located in a two-story house in Detroit. Most of Motown's studio work had moved to Los Angeles by then, but The Temptations still recorded in Detroit.

The Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You Do

The Temptations - The Way You Do The Things You Do Youtube Music Videos and Lyrics

Album: Meet The Temptations
Released: 1964

The Way You Do The Things You Do Lyrics

You got a smile so bright
You know you could have been a candle
I'm holding you so tight
You know you could have been a handle
The way you swept me off my feet
You know you could've been a broom
And babe you smell so sweet
You know you could've been some perfume

Well you could of been anything that you wanted to
I can tell
The Way You Do The Things You Do

As pretty as you are
You know you could've been a flower
If good looks were minutes
You know you could have been an hour
The way you stole my heart
You know you could have been a crook
And baby your so smart
You know you could have been a school book

Well you could of been anything that you wanted to
I can tell
The way you do the things you do

Well you could of been

You make my life so rich
You know you could've been some money
And baby you're so sweet
You know you could have been some honey

Well you could of been anything that you wanted to
I can tell
The way you do the things you do

Well you could of been

As pretty as you are
You know you could've been a flower
If good looks were minutes
You know you could have been an hour
The way you stole my heart
You know you could have been a crook
And baby your so smart
You know you could have been a school book

Well you could of been anything that you wanted to
I can tell
The way you do the things you do

Well you could of been

Writer/s: ROGERS, ROBERT / ROBINSON JR., WILLIAM
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

The Way You Do The Things You Do Song Chart

Smokey Robinson wrote this after Berry Gordy asked his Motown writers to come up with something for The Temptations. He said that whoever wrote them a hit would get preferential treatment and the chance to write more songs for The Temptations, which Smokey did.

The Temptations previous 7 singles all flopped. There was a lot of pressure on Motown to deliver a hit.

Berry Gordy wrote his own song the be their next single, but he put it on the shelf when enough people at Motown told him that Smokey's song was better.

Bobby Rogers, who was a member of Smokey's group, The Miracles, helped him finish writing this.

This was the first song on the first Temptations album, which was a collection of their singles released in 1965. At the time, Motown focused on releasing hit singles, and album sales were secondary. Singles were more profitable because more people bought them.

UB40 covered this in 1990. Their version hit #6 in the US.

Otis Williams of The Temptations recalled in Mojo magazine February 2009: "The first time we heard the song, we loved it. The melody swung, and the lyrics had lots of charm. They were silly in a way, talking about a girl you loved as a candle, a handle, a schoolbook, a cool crook, a broom, a perfume, but, typical Smokey, he made it work. It got a good response whenever we did it live, so our hopes were up. We knew from past experience that even the best tracks don't always click."

Smokey Robinson told Mojo October 2014 that Curtis Mayfield was his inspiration for this tune. "He had a song out with The Impressions called 'It's Alright' and they sang with this great harmony and I knew The Temptations could sing like that because they had a great harmony sound," Smokey explained, "and Curtis had this high voice like Eddie Kendricks and I wanted to simulate that if possible."

The Temptations - Just My Imagination

The Temptations - Just My Imagination Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Sky's The Limit
Released: 1971

Just My Imagination Lyrics

Each day through my window I watch her as she passes by
I say to myself you're such a lucky guy,
To have a girl like her is truly a dream come true
Out of all the fellows in the world she belongs to me.
But it was Just My Imagination,
Runnin' away with me.
It was just my imagination runnin' away with me

Soon we'll be married and raise a family (Oh yeah)
A cozy little home out in the country with two children maybe three.
I tell you I can visualize it all
This couldn't be a dream for too real it all seems;
But it was just my imagination once again runnin' way with me.
Tell you it was just my imagination runnin' away with me.

Every night on my knees I pray, Dear Lord, Hear my plea;
Don't ever let another take her love from me or I would surely die.
Her love is heavenly, when her arms enfold me,
I hear a tender rhapsody, but in reality she doesn't even know me.

Just my imagination once again runnin' way with me.
Tell you it was just my imagination runnin' away with me.
No, no, I can't forget her
Just my imagination once again runnin' way with me.
Just my imagination runnin' away with me.

Writer/s: WHITFIELD, NORMAN / STRONG, BARRETT
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Just My Imagination Song Chart

Motown writers Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote this in the late '60s, but since Psychedelic songs were popular at the time, Whitfield and Strong decided to wait a few years before releasing it. Whitfield pulled it out of the mothballs after the relative failure of The Temptations' "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)," which hit #33 in 1970. Whitfield wanted to steer the Temptations away from their string of socially relevant songs. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL)

This was the last single for the Temptations with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams in the group. Eddie started a solo career and in 1973 scored his biggest hit with "Keep On Truckin'." Williams remained on salary as an advisor, but was plagued with personal problems - he was separated from his wife, owed back taxes and was being treated for alcoholism. He committed suicide in 1973 at age 34. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

This was the third of 4 #1 Hits by the Temptations. The track was released in February 1971, and took off right away, peaking at #1 in April.

The Rolling Stones covered this in 1978. They had a hit with another Temptations song, "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," in 1974.