Papa Was A Rolling Stone
View chords used in this chart
Em Am
It was the third of September; that day I'll always remember,
Em
'cause that was the day that my daddy died.
Em
I never got a chance to see him;
Am
never heard nothin' but bad things about him.
Em
Mama I'm depending on you to tell me the truth.
[Refrão](Spoken)
Mama just looked at him and said, "Son,
Em
Papa was a rollin' stone.
Em Am
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
Em
And when his died,
Am Em
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,
Chorus
How to play Papa Was A Rolling Stone
Use the controls above to change the key and text size. Follow the highlighted chords while listening, then practice each section slowly before playing at the original tempo.
What is the starting chord?
The first identified chord is Em. You can transpose without leaving the page.
Can I play it on guitar or keyboard?
Yes. The chord progression works on acoustic guitar, electric guitar and keyboard. Adapt the voicings to your instrument and level.