# Papa Was A Rolling Stone-- old cliche or new?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-was-a-rolling-stone-old-cliche-or-new/276873>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 27, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-was-a-rolling-stone-old-cliche-or-new/276873 "2004-11-27T14:49:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-was-a-rolling-stone-old-cliche-or-new/276873/1 "2004-11-27T14:49:09Z")

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There’s a book out new named Any Place I Lay My Hat and it made me wonder about the old Temptation song, Papa Was A Rolling Stone.  
The first time I ever heard “Where ever he laid his hat was his home” and also “(When he died) all he left us was alone” was on that song. Did these saying originate with the song or are there earlier cites of these being used?

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/papa-was-a-rolling-stone-old-cliche-or-new/276873/2 "2004-11-27T15:11:15Z")

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> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> The first time I ever heard “Where ever he laid his hat was his home” and also “(When he died) all he left us was alone” was on that song. Did these saying originate with the song or are there earlier cites of these being used?

“Home is wherever you hang your hat” is an old expression. “Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home” is a Johnny Mercer-Harold Arlen song published in 1946.