Other arrangements of Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
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It was the third of Sep tem nev er got a chance to see him.
day I’ll al ways re Nev er heard in’ but bad things a bout him.
that was the day ing on you that my dad dy died.
I nev er got a chance to see him.
day I’ll al ways re Nev er heard in’ but bad things a bout him.
Ma ma, I’m de ing on you to tell me the truth.
I
Pa pa was a roll in’ stone.”
Wher ev er he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was a lone.
Pa pa was a roll in’ stone.”
Wher ev er he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was a lone.
Hey Ma ma, is it true what they say, that Pa pa nev er worked a day in his life?
And Ma ma,
bad talk goin’ a round town say that Pa pa had three out side chil dren and an oth er wife.
And that ain’t right.
Heard some talk a bout Pa pa do in’ some store front preach in’.
Talk in’ ’bout sav in’ souls and all the time preach ing,
heal ing and then steal ing in the name of the Lord.
I heard Pa pa call him self a Jack of all in’.
trades.
Tell me, is that what sent Pa pa to an ear ly grave?
Folks say Pa pa would pend ing on you beg, bor row, steal to tell me the pay his bills.
Hey, Ma ma,
folks say Pa pa nev er was much on of think in’.
trades.
Tell Spent most of his time chas in’ wom en and drink in’.
Ma ma, Pa I’m de pend ing on you beg, bor row, steal to tell me the truth.
his bills.
Hey, Ma ma,
“Pa pa was a roll in’ stone.”
Wher ev er he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was a lone.
“Pa pa was a roll in’ stone.”
Wher ev er he laid his hat was his home.
And when he died, all he left us was a lone.
Papa Was A Rollin' Stone — Classic Piano Sheet Music
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Read "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of A. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 120 BPM.
Tip: Use the speed control to practice at 70% tempo first. Focus on tricky chord transitions before attempting the full arrangement.
Try other practice modes:
About “Papa Was A Rollin' Stone”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature A. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations played in?
- Papa Was A Rollin' Stone is arranged in the key of A on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"?
- The arrangement plays at 120 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"?
- "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" was originally performed by The Temptations. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone"?
- This arrangement uses 1 chord: Am7. Only a handful of chords — beginner-friendly.
- What other songs by The Temptations can I play here?
- Try "I'M LOSING YOU", "BALL OF CONFUSION", "AIN'T TOO PROUD TO BEG". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature A, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 120 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.