Introduction
“Coat of Many Colors” is a poignant song written and originally recorded by American country music icon Dolly Parton. Released in September 1971 as the second single and title track from her album of the same name, the song has since become one of Parton’s most cherished compositions.
The narrative of “Coat of Many Colors” draws from Parton’s childhood experiences in rural Tennessee. The song tells the story of how her mother stitched together a coat for her daughter from a collection of rags, drawing inspiration from the biblical tale of Joseph’s coat of many colors. Despite the family’s financial hardships, the coat symbolized the richness of love and family bonds. When Parton wore the coat to school, her classmates ridiculed her for wearing a garment made of rags, but she felt rich due to the love sewn into every stitch.
Parton composed the song in 1969 while traveling with her singing partner Porter Wagoner on his tour bus. Lacking paper, she wrote the lyrics on the back of a dry cleaning receipt from one of Wagoner’s suits. Recognizing the song’s significance, Wagoner later had the receipt framed, and it now hangs in Parton’s Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood.
Over the years, “Coat of Many Colors” has been covered by various artists, including Shania Twain, Emmylou Harris, and Eva Cassidy, underscoring its enduring appeal. In 2011, Parton’s original recording was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, recognizing its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.
The song’s enduring legacy lies in its universal themes of love, resilience, and the true meaning of wealth, making it a timeless piece that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Video
Lyrics
(dolly parton)
Back through the years i go wondering once again
Back to the seasons of my youth
I recall a box of rags that someone gave us
And how my mamma put these rags to use
There were rags of many colours, and every piece was small
And i didn’t have a coat and it was way down in the fall
Mamma sewed the rags together, sewing ever piece with love
She made my coat of many colours, that i was so proud of
As she sewed she told the story from the bible she had read
About a coat of many colours, joseph wore and they she said
Perhaps this coat will bring you, much love and happiness
And i just couldn’t wait to wear it, and mamma blessed it with a kiss
My coat of many colours that mamma made for me
Made only rags, but i wore it so proudly
Although we had no money. oh i was rich as i could be
In my coat of many colours, my mamma made for me
So with patches on my breaches and holes in both my shoes
In my coat of many colours, i hurried off to school
Just to find the others laughing and makin’ fun of me
In my coat of many colours, my mamma made for me
Oh, i couldn’t understand it, for i felt i was rich
And i told them of the love my mamma sewed in ever stitch
And i told them all the story, mamma told me while she sewed
And how my coat of many colours is worth more than all of their clothes
They didn’t under stand it and i tried to make them see
That one is only poor only if they choose to be
Now i know we have no money, but i’m as rich as i could be
In my coat of many colours, my mamma made for me
In my coat of many colours, my mamma just made for me